Page 3475 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 22 August 2018
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MR RAMSAY (Ginninderra—Attorney-General, Minister for Regulatory Services, Minister for the Arts and Community Events and Minister for Veterans and Seniors) (5.24): I, too, thank Mr Pettersson for moving this motion. I am pleased to rise today, primarily wearing my local representative hat, in support of the motion and to speak about the way the measures in the budget will be supporting a growing and evolving population in Ginninderra, specifically in west Belconnen, where I have lived and worked for the past 20 years. Belconnen is truly a great place to live and to work. This budget will help it be even better.
First, I speak with some pride about the Belconnen Arts Centre, a wonderful ACT arts facility that will be receiving additional operating funding to support its hugely popular public programs that will be running during the disruption that is caused by the construction of the stage 2 extension. They are getting ready to run a centre that will double in size. As I announced recently, construction starts soon. This will add a new multi-use performance space and associated back-of-house area, along with new gallery spaces, an improved administration area, an additional dance studio and other facilities. This $15 million investment was one of the government’s key election commitments and we are very proud to be delivering on it.
The expansion of the Belconnen Arts Centre will continue to grow opportunities for the Canberra community to engage in the arts and creative expression. The precinct will also benefit from the further work to the bikeways in Belconnen, with the extension of the Lake Ginninderra circuit and an overwater boardwalk beside the Belconnen Arts Centre. This will be both a beautiful and a practical addition to the foreshore at Emu Bank.
I am also pleased to see a number of intersection upgrades in Ginninderra. I know that many of my local constituents will be particularly happy about the addition of much-needed traffic lights at two intersections near the Charnwood shops, which I drive through myself just about every day. It will be great to see, as the Deputy Chief Minister has mentioned, improvements to the intersections of Tillyard Drive and Ginninderra Drive as well as of Tillyard Drive and Lhotsky Street.
As Minister Berry also mentioned, it will be great to see the Higgins oval being revitalised with new turf, a new irrigation system, new lighting and a pavilion with toilet facilities. Canberra is an active city. These upgrades will provide fresh activity space for people to enjoy. They will also benefit families who are connected with the childcare centre and future residents of the retirement village in that area.
As a keen gardener, I am pleased that we will be seeing green bins rolling out rapidly across Belconnen very soon, and what good timing, with spring just around the corner. Of course, there will be, as there is for all Canberra suburbs, even more mowing, weeding, graffiti removal, waterway cleaning and tree trimming throughout the electorate.
It will also be good for the people of west Belconnen to see a number of new paths and crossings to make it easier and safer to traverse on foot as we encourage Canberrans, and notably older Canberrans, to keep moving and to make the most of
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