Page 861 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 21 March 2018
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cut it. It is the 50th anniversary of Waramanga this year. It would be good to have the ball rolling this year. We can all then pat each other on the back and particularly pat Elizabeth and Dan and the rest of the team on the back and say well done to Waramanga community for putting forward this proposal.
It has been a bit of a messy process in the chamber today to get to this point, but I think we have got to a point where we all agree that we are going to build a playground at the Waramanga shops. I am urging the government to get on with it, and I look forward to their progress report in July that tells me how much work they have done on progressing the new playground at Waramanga shops. I hope we can get on with this before the end of the year. I accept that there are time frames in construction and sometimes things take a bit longer, but if we could see a first sod turned or something in writing or money appropriated by the end of this year so that we can say that this was done in 2018, then that will be a win for the Waramanga community. If that is what happens, which I hope it is, then I can say well done to the Waramanga community for what is going to be a win for your community.
I think it is fantastic to see a community proposal coming into this place. Yes, there has been argy-bargy amongst politicians, but if we can get this done in a tripartisan way then that is the win I am looking for. I am never afraid of a political fight, and members know that, but that is not what I want today and it is not what the community wants. We want a win for the Waramanga community, and if the government holds its word on this and does not play any sneaky games, then that is what we have got. I move my amendment as circulated:
Add new (6)(g) and 6(h):
“(g) commit to the establishment of a new playground at Waramanga shops; and
(h) report back to the Assembly on progress by July 2018.”.
MS FITZHARRIS (Yerrabi—Minister for Health and Wellbeing, Minister for Transport and City Services and Minister for Higher Education, Training and Research) (4.35): Thank you, and welcome to some of the sausage-making of the democratic process! I thank members for their participation and again acknowledge the hard work from the Waramanga community. I think we have reached a good conclusion. I note that the Assembly is not sitting in July, but I will seek to update members at the earliest possible opportunity in July through other means.
One note I omitted to mention when I previously spoke was the issue of access to playgrounds in schools. Certainly the move to build fencing around schools was not taken lightly. But I am advised by the Minister for Education and Early Childhood Development that those playgrounds should be accessible on weekends. Gates are not locked but they are closed to prevent vandalism, so in the meantime the playground at the local school is accessible.
I look forward to continuing to work with the community on playgrounds right across our city and, in particular, working with communities that are rejuvenating and changing their demographic in many of our more established suburbs.
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