Page 2301 - Week 07 - Thursday, 27 August 2020
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MS ORR (Yerrabi—Minister for Community Services and Facilities, Minister for Disability, Minister for Employment and Workplace Safety and Minister for Government Services and Procurement) (7.20): It is hard to believe that it has been almost four years since I stood in this place for the first time as a member for Yerrabi. It has been an immense honour to represent my community in this Assembly, and on the last sitting day of the term I would like to recognise the many highlights of this last term for me.
I am proud to have served as a member in this government that has delivered record investment in health care, education and infrastructure for my electorate. We have delivered free public health care to our community, with the delivery of the Gungahlin nurse-led walk-in centre and upgrades to Calvary Public Hospital. We have built new schools, expanded existing schools and made essential upgrades to meet the needs of Yerrabi’s growing community. Thanks to this record, every student across Canberra will be able to learn at a great public local school.
With the delivery of light rail stage 1, we have improved our public transport system and made it easier across Gungahlin to commute. In working with Yerrabi community members, I am proud to have delivered on the commitments I have made to them. I have delivered a new community park for Giralang and more green spaces in the Gungahlin town centre. We have made progress on the Giralang shops, although it is a mission not yet finished and one I have not given up on. We have undertaken planning for a new community and arts centre for Gungahlin, conducted an important inquiry into building quality, which has impacted so many people across my electorate, and introduced Canberra’s first ever re-usable coffee cup scheme, which continues to divert waste from landfill and help us reduce our impact on our local environment.
I am proud to have delivered all of these by working together with my community to make a difference for everyone. In addition to serving as a member for Yerrabi, it has, of course, been my great honour to serve as a minister in the ACT government—for one year and a day, to be exact. As Minister for Disability I am grateful to all of the peak organisations and people living with a disability whom I have had the privilege of working with. Most recently, overseeing the delivery of the ACT’s COVID-19 disability strategy has been an important part of my responsibilities. The strategy is a living document that will continue responding to the emerging needs of people living with a disability by providing targeted communication and necessary supports through a coordinated approach.
As the Minister for Community Services and Facilities I would like to convey my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to all of the carers, volunteers and community service providers across the ACT for the vital support and contributions they provide to the Canberra community. I would like to thank them for the work they have done during this difficult time to make sure that every Canberran feels connected, valued and included. As Minister for Employment and Workplace Safety, I would like to thank WorkSafe ACT, unions and industry representatives for coming together to improve workplace safety in the ACT. There is still much more work we need to do to protect Canberrans; however, our government will continue to take strong action to protect Canberrans from harm at work.
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