Page 2114 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 5 June 2019
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and as our city continues to grow, it is natural to see pressure on car parking at our local shops, particularly at major group centres.
Gungahlin is a growing region. I have heard from Mr Pettersson that many residents and shop owners at Palmerston want more parking at the local shopping centre so that people can access the range of services provided there. Following Mr Pettersson’s advocacy, I was very pleased to announce that an additional 25 sealed car parks will be constructed at the Palmerston shops, in front of the Palmerston community centre, which we expect to deliver in the next financial year.
Molonglo Valley is another growing region of our city, but the planned Molonglo group centre is still some time away from being built. That is why in the meantime our government will provide funding to construct an additional 150 car parks at Cooleman Court on the block of land at Brierly Street and Parkinson Street. It is well known on the south side that parking at Cooleman Court is the number one issue for many Weston Creek residents. Certainly, Ms Cody has been advocating on this issue on behalf of residents for some time. These new car parks will be located directly next to the new rapid bus stops at Cooleman Court, providing better connections to our public transport network in Weston Creek, making it easier to access the local shops at Cooleman Court and also providing access to the brand-new Weston Creek walk-in centre, which will open later this year.
MS CODY: Minister, is the government providing more community facilities for Woden?
MR STEEL: I thank Ms Cody for her question. The population of Woden is growing and will continue to grow as more and more people come to live and work in the town centre. Since becoming a member of this place and since talking with the community and listening to their concerns about community facilities in the town centre, I am really delighted that the government, in the budget yesterday, is backing the Woden community centre project, which is a priority of the Woden community, with an investment of $1.75 million to fund the design of a new community centre to meet the growing needs of the Woden area. This will provide a dedicated, fit-for-purpose community centre for the growing needs of our community and the growing number of community services offered by particularly Woden Community Service. The new centre will provide a new home for Woden Community Service to deliver its range of integrated services. It will provide a large community space for activities and events as well as the arts. The design and service offerings will be informed by ongoing engagement with the Woden community.
The government will also invest half a million dollars in upgrading and refurbishing the Woden library, including upgrading spaces for use by the community. Community spaces and exhibition spaces will be delivered on the mezzanine level of Woden library. We will also be upgrading the downstairs meeting room to make it available for use and access after hours, with security installed and a partition added to the toilets.
This is a significant investment for the south side, and I am very proud to be part of a government that is delivering better community infrastructure for our city.
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