Page 2056 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 6 June 2018
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stage of light rail as well as to start design work on a number of important pieces of enabling infrastructure.
The city to Woden stage of the light rail network provides an essential north-south transport spine, allowing Gungahlin residents to easily get to work in the Barton or Woden regions, and allowing residents to travel to and from an employment hub in Dickson. Indeed, as more commonwealth and ACT government and private sector employment is located in the Gungahlin town centre, it will enable residents all the way along that transport spine from Woden through to the inner south and the inner north to make their way to Gungahlin for work.
The budget also funds road improvements that the city needs. We are particularly conscious of improving safety at key intersections. I particularly acknowledge Ms Cheyne’s advocacy inside the government for improvements at intersections such as Tillyard Drive. It is very pleasing to see that this upgrade has been funded. And there are a number of other important road funding initiatives contained within the budget in different locations across the city: the better connections between Belconnen and Gungahlin through the duplication of William Slim Drive, for example.
The Canberra environment, our suburbs and our town centres should be enjoyable, fun and pleasant places for all Canberrans. It is incredibly important that Canberrans get to have their say and provide their input into government initiatives. I know that all of my colleagues are listening to their local communities and providing that feedback to assist directly in the budget development and policy processes. It is an important role for members of this Assembly to be that conduit between their local communities and the cabinet and budget-making process each year.
It is important that we can hear from the community directly and also through their elected representatives. That is why we are focusing in this budget on strengthening ways for the community to engage with government and let us know what they want. What we are hearing from our community is that Canberrans recognise that the city is growing, that this poses both challenges and opportunities. Many people are excited about the future of our city, particularly as our economy and city grow, and the opportunities that this will present for Canberrans in the years to come. The government needs to demonstrate that we have a plan to invest now to cater for this growth while maintaining those unique elements that make this city so special.
We understand that Canberrans want tangible, on-the-ground improvements to living spaces, to our parks, to our transport connections, to our walkways, to our bike paths. That is why we are so focused in this budget on delivering those outcomes. These municipal service areas will remain a priority for the ACT government throughout this parliamentary term, and clearly will be an ongoing focus for all members in this place representing their local communities. I am very pleased that we have been able to deliver on many of our election commitments in this area in this budget.
Of course, there is always more to do. This list will be never ending; there will be an ongoing task of improving our city, but it is one that we take on with relish and with passion. It is fantastic to see that such great local advocacy has resulted in some really
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