Page 964 - Week 04 - Thursday, 7 May 2020
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Urban Renewal relating to petitions Nos 29-19 and 32-19. The petitions were received by the Assembly on 28 November 2019 and referred to the committee under standing order 99A. The petitioners wished to draw to the attention of the Assembly that, whilst supporting access to high quality hospital facilities, they opposed the proposed vehicle access to the hospital via Palmer Street and Gilmore Crescent, particularly in terms of safety concerns, and objected to the work on the SPIRE project proceeding prior to the development of a master plan/hospital precinct plan.
The petitioners therefore requested the Assembly to call on the ACT government to:
• stop the proposed vehicle access route and ensure safe traffic flow within the Hospital Precinct;
• engage in genuine consultation with the local community in the development of both Master Plans;
• establish an enforceable plan to address parking in the Hospital Precinct; and
• ensure the impact of helicopter noise on surrounding residences and school is minimised.
The committee notes that the minister’s response to the petition, under standing order 100, makes reference to the committee’s current inquiry into planning for the Surgical Procedures, Interventional Radiology and Emergency Centre, or SPIRE, and the Canberra Hospital campus and immediate surrounds. This inquiry was undertaken largely in response to the matter contained in the petitions, and the committee notes that the ACT government has made a submission to this inquiry.
The committee, however, wishes to highlight that, due to developments and restrictions imposed by the Assembly due to the COVID-19 crisis, planned hearings for the SPIRE inquiry were not able to proceed and the committee was unable to hear evidence from or question representatives of the ACT government in this context. A final report will therefore be compiled using data from archival records and written evidence and tabled prior to the end of the Ninth Assembly.
Sitting suspended from 12.17 to 2.00 pm.
Questions without notice
Schools—COVID-19
MR COE: My question is to the Minister for Education and Early Childhood Development. Minister, the director-general of education has sent a letter to parents outlining the government’s decision on hub school arrangements and advising what years will start returning to their usual schools. Does a return to a child’s school mean a return to their usual class, with their usual teacher and their usual cohort?
MS BERRY: Yes. As we have outlined in the plan and described today and provided in correspondence to parents and school communities, for student cohorts, on their first transition day on Monday, 18 May, all preschool years 1, 2 and 7 students will return to their normal schools for campus learning with their normal teacher.
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