Page 2897 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 14 August 2018
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the transport and city services portfolio are a significant package of investment in Woden and the south side that will continue to grow the confidence and drive urban regeneration we are already seeing in the town centres for years to come.
The government is also investing in major upgrades to roads as our city grows. Many of the road improvements are centred around Belconnen and Gungahlin, as their population expands. But the budget also funds the planning work necessary for future road upgrades in the growing suburbs of the Molonglo Valley. There is an investment of $1.25 million for the planning and design of the largest road bridge ever constructed in the ACT, which will cross the Molonglo River, a distance of some 220 metres, then extend to John Gorton Drive to future suburbs like Whitlam. This will link John Gorton Drive with the works which have already begun from William Hovell Drive down to the Molonglo River, which is being completed in stages. Together with funding in last year’s budget for early planning on other road connections in Molonglo, the government is advancing the road planning and construction necessary for the future population of Molonglo.
In conclusion, I am really proud to support a budget that grows the key services that our growing city needs and that invests in the renewal of our transport infrastructure and our neighbourhoods. The Transport Canberra and City Services budget measures I have focused on today particularly demonstrate our government’s commitment to the regeneration of Woden town centre and the south side, and I commend the budget to the Assembly.
MS CHEYNE (Ginninderra) (5.31): Canberra is growing. Our city is expanding up and out. Our inner-city corridors and town centres are become denser, our suburbs are expanding, and new suburbs are coming online quickly. By 2020 our population is expected to reach 428,000: 12,000 more Canberrans in just three short years. As we make room for our new neighbours, the demand for services continues to grow. In this budget the ACT government is investing to meet this growing demand. That means more and improved municipal services, more facilities for travel and transport, and the renewal of our town centres.
We often take municipal services for granted. They are frequently taken care of behind the scenes and go unnoticed, but they have an enormous impact on our lives and how we feel about our city and region. The ACT government does understand the importance of these essential services to Canberrans’ lives. We also understand that our new residents must be allowed to enjoy the same level of high-quality services that we value.
This budget commits no less than $10 million over four years to improve our existing maintenance services and $10.9 million to deliver municipal services to both infill developments and new suburban estates. With this funding we will be able to better keep our little capital clean and tidy and be readier to respond to maintenance requests from the community. That means more mowing, more weeding and more tree trimming. It is about having better graffiti removal, cleaner lakes and ponds and better bus shelter maintenance.
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