Page 3237 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 21 August 2019
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EPIC is well located and accessible to all people, given its proximity to Gungahlin Drive, and with the GDE and the Tuggeranong Parkway connecting with it. Of course, it is walking distance from our light rail line, which connects with our broader integrated transport network.
Establishing a venue capable of hosting upwards of 350 people would also support Canberra’s commitment to become a welcoming city. As members may know, the Welcoming Cities standard values public places and facilities that enhance livability, social cohesion and inclusion for all residents. That means creating public spaces and facilities in Canberra that encourage communities to facilitate their diverse cultural expression and celebration. Our commitment to being a welcoming city also extends to demonstrating leadership by supporting activities and initiatives that connect people from migrant and receiving communities.
Providing a large-scale venue suitable for hosting multicultural events, as has been put forward in the motion today, is a real opportunity to signify that the ACT government are ready to take action on our commitment. This motion is not an idea that has come out of nowhere, as Mr Gupta mentioned; this is the result of feedback and deep engagement with communities, our multicultural communities, from around Canberra. I applaud Mr Gupta and Ms Orr for representing these views in our Assembly today. I congratulate them on bringing this matter forward and I commend their motion to the Assembly. I hope it can be supported by all members in this place.
MRS KIKKERT (Ginninderra) (11.28): I thank Mr Gupta and Ms Orr for bringing this important motion before the Assembly. It is quite laughable that they talk about listening to a community and having a larger scale place for our multicultural community to come and have their festivities when our German cultural community here in Canberra were speaking to the government about having their cultural event at EPIC. What did they get?
Mr Wall: They got taxed over the border.
MRS KIKKERT: Exactly. They had to move across the border because they could not negotiate a reasonable, affordable place to host their activities and their cultural festivities at EPIC. I do not know what they are talking about when they are talking about speaking and listening to the community. Perhaps they have to reconsider that.
Mr Wall interjecting—
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ms Cody): Mr Wall, you will have your chance to speak.
MRS KIKKERT: This motion addresses issues that I have been raising since becoming a member of this Assembly. I am happy to see the opposite side of the chamber recognise and begin to address these issues.
The first serious opportunity I had to question this government regarding multicultural matters was during the 2015-16 annual report hearings. I asked the then minister
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