Page 2823 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 13 August 2019
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It is city services and local infrastructure that not only keep our city functioning but also provide us with clean and safe communities to live in and enjoy. That is why we are investing $9.2 million over the next four years to install more rubbish and recycling bins and plant more trees across Canberra. The introduction of 50 new rubbish bins and 100 recycling bins across our suburbs will make it easier to do the right thing, keep our communities cleaner and help reach our goal of diverting 90 per cent of waste away from landfill by 2025, as outlined in the ACT waste management strategy. The addition of 17,000 more trees will grow Canberra’s urban forest, creating a cooler climate in summer and enhancing the character of our streets. We are the bush capital after all.
Like my colleague Ms Orr, I have already started talking to the community about where these bits of infrastructure should be inserted into our neighbourhood and I already had a little list which I could draw on in speaking with Minister Steel. I cannot wait to see that rolled out and people benefiting from it. We have already started to see the rollout of more bins in our nature reserves and our dog parks, like Palmerville Heritage Park. I am very pleased to see the success of having bins and dog waste bag dispensers there.
This year’s budget also commits $906,000 over the next four years to provide more street sweeping and upgrade several stormwater networks, including the stormwater network in Page and Weetangera. More regular street sweeping not only keeps our streets tidy but also, importantly, improves the quality of water run-off into our stormwater drains. These measures address the problems with our water infrastructure raised as part of the better suburbs citizens’ forum.
Keeping our suburbs tidy is not just about cleaning up after ourselves. Canberra’s new dog management model, which I touched on before, helps complement the budget measures that we were talking about, as well as having a range of further things that we can do to encourage people to responsibly look after their pets. I think that is genuinely a great complement to what has already been announced in the budget. I commend the minister for that.
Community facilities and green space are not only essential to our suburbs but also bring people together and foster a sense of community. It is important that residents of all ages can enjoy their local parks, playgrounds and community centres. I am pleased to see a number of upgrades to facilities throughout Ginninderra funded in this year’s budget.
Mount Rogers Community Centre is a prime example of a building that brings people from all walks of life together. It houses a school, a youth group, child care, dance lessons and two churches. The ACT budget commits $800,000 to upgrading the centre’s air conditioning system and fire safety requirements. They are small but important changes to ensure that this building continues to serve the community for many years to come.
Belconnen Community Centre will also receive a welcome funding boost, with $380,000 for a range of improvements that will make this important community hub
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