Page73 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 2 December 2020

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application for this car park was approved. Minister, why is this car park going ahead when your cabinet colleague promised it would not?  

MR STEEL: I will take the question. As the Minister for City Services, this is my project, through Transport Canberra and City Services. Acknowledging the 2014 master plan for the Weston group centre, there has been an ongoing need and recommendation through that plan to have temporary car parking until the Molonglo commercial centre is built, noting that particularly the southern car park is under pressure. That is why the government, prior to the election, progressed this project, firstly through the budget, in the previous budget, and through the planning process. That project now is approved. We expect that work to get underway early in the new year. It will provide temporary car parking to be used for the Weston Creek community without creating disruption over the busy Christmas period for those wanting to access Cooleman Court.

MRS JONES: Minister, will the government change in any way the development of this car park, given Ms Davidson’s election commitment?

MR STEEL: The ACT government is getting on with the work of building more car parking spaces for the Canberra community. I note that the alternative being put by the opposition is to build more car parking spaces at Weston Creek group centre as well. They would not reveal where—possibly on the Weston oval, on that quality green space there that is used for recreation. But we are getting on with the work of delivering it in the right location that is appropriately zoned. When the temporary car park is no longer needed, I expect that this land will be released for a community facility, as has been zoned, following the Weston Creek master plan and the change to the Territory Plan that came thereafter.

MR HANSON: Minister, did Ms Davidson mislead her electorate, then, when she promised to protect Coolo Park as green space?

MR STEEL: That is not a matter for me to answer.

Mrs Jones: It absolutely is.

MADAM SPEAKER: Members!

Government—economic management

MS ORR: My question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, can you inform the Assembly how the government is getting on with the job of delivering its commitments and economic recovery objectives through the two budgets in 2021?

MR BARR: I thank Ms Orr for the question. Yes, we will have two budgets—a mini-budget in February, on the first Tuesday when we return, and a more fulsome budget on 31 August, for the 2021-22 fiscal year. The government has commenced work on the February economic update. It is in the time frame when there would normally be a budget update. I foreshadow that this will be more significant than a


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