Page 3246 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 21 August 2019
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communities together are themselves a value in the same way that physical capital is. Vibrant community groups and interconnected communities are a key element of social capital. Public spaces, social connection, community groups, activities, religious organisations, trade unions, sporting clubs and volunteer associations all contribute to social capital.
It is unsurprising then that, on almost every metric, Canberra has the highest levels of social capital in Australia. We are more likely to donate to charity, volunteer our time, play an organised sport, go to an art gallery, the movies or the zoo, watch a sporting match or go to a concert than other Australians.
Clearly, Canberrans want to be able to spend time in their community and contribute to making our city such a great place to live. We are so lucky to have great spaces and venues that currently facilitate this leading level of engagement. Canberra’s town centres and suburbs are the sites of many of these spaces. They are not in the city; they are spread across this city.
This is all the more reason why a multicultural community venue in EPIC is such a good idea. As the saying goes, “Build it and they will come.” More community spaces are necessary for our city to continue to lead the way in developing an interconnected and social community. If we build it, they will come, and our city will be further interconnected.
Our government has been dedicated to growing cultural and community spaces in the Canberra community. For example, there are a couple of projects across this city that are particularly noteworthy: Belconnen Arts Centre stage 2, new football pitches and the home of football in Throsby, planning for a new community centre in Woden, bringing elite sports to major ovals across this city, upgrading Canberra Theatre, and developing the Kingston arts precinct. This government has a great story to tell in making our city more connected.
A multicultural centre in EPIC would clearly fit into the ongoing work of this government in enriching our city’s social and cultural life. It would be an ideal investment given that the government’s ACT multicultural framework will ensure that Canberra is an inclusive and cohesive city that celebrates diversity. It would fill a gap in services that currently exist for multicultural group engagement, as well as providing a venue for all community groups, not just multicultural ones, in the Gungahlin region.
It is important that as a government we listen to the needs of the communities we represent. We should build community assets where communities want them. This project is something for which the multicultural community has been advocating for quite some time. I think this venue should be located in Gungahlin, close to the communities that have been advocating for it.
I support this motion and I urge all members of this place to do so as well. I commend the motion.
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