Page 4655 - Week 12 - Thursday, 1 November 2018
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There has been enormous investment in infrastructure in the Gungahlin town centre and I think that anyone who visits there today can see the incredible benefit that it has brought to the Gungahlin town centre. We are only just at the beginning of not only residents but also local businesses fully realising the enormous benefit that will come to them from the ACT government’s investment in the town centre.
MR COE: Minister, should people and business owners in Gungahlin have any hope at all that this government will provide any tangible support to them to help them to recoup the business losses and personal debt that they have racked up over the past 18 months as a result of light rail?
MS FITZHARRIS: I refer Mr Coe to my previous answer, but I am happy to reiterate that I think businesses are already seeing, and the community is already seeing, the benefits that will come from having enormous activity right outside their front door as a result of the single biggest infrastructure investment in this city’s history: the building of light rail from Gungahlin to Civic.
I certainly acknowledge that a number of those businesses struggled over the period of construction but, in speaking with many of them, they also knew that the benefits would come. As Mr Milligan indicated, we did do a business impact study. We will learn lessons from that, as governments and businesses around the country and around the world realise that when public infrastructure is built, it delivers public benefit and benefit to business.
Mr Coe: A point of order.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Coe.
Mr Coe: It is on relevance. The specific question was: should businesses and people have any hope that they will have any support with regard to recouping the debt and costs? She has not directly answered that.
MADAM SPEAKER: Minister, you have a minute left. Do you have anything further to add?
MS FITZHARRIS: No.
Work safety—government priorities
MR PETTERSSON: My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Safety. Minister, could you update the Assembly on the ACT government’s activities during Work Safety Month.
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Mr Pettersson for his question and for his ongoing commitment to workplace health and safety. This year’s theme for national Work Safety Month was “a moment is all it takes”. It reflects on the fact that a safety incident can happen in a moment in any workplace but a moment’s forethought is also all it takes to prevent harm that may last a lifetime.
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