Page 1392 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 12 May 2021
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the Assembly. I recognise how popular the recreation areas around Yerrabi Pond are and I encourage the community to provide their feedback on how they use these spaces and what future improvements they would like to see.
The ACT government has launched a consultation portal on the YourSay website and we are seeking community feedback via a survey on the ACT government’s website. Pop-up sessions at Yerrabi Pond were held on 1, 6, and 11 May so that people could have the opportunity to provide feedback and talk with officials from Transport Canberra and City Services, including opportunities for business.
We want to know how people use the Yerrabi Pond recreational areas, how often they visit and what improvements they would like to see. That includes the issue of car parking if they would like to raise that. The government has invested $300,000 in improvements to Yerrabi Pond and we are keen to hear from the community about how that funding should be used, as well as additional improvements in the future.
A variety of improvements have been suggested already. These will be ranked as part of the community survey, with examples including upgraded paths; improved parking arrangements; more facilities such as seating and bins; enhanced landscaping; amenities the community wants; and access to power for social events. The consultation commenced on 23 April and closes on 4 June, so there is still time for businesses to come forward and present their views, and Ms Castley is certainly doing that through her motion.
To date, 700 YourSay surveys have been received, which indicates significant community interest in providing feedback on this important recreational area. The feedback in Ms Castley’s motion and the petition lodged by Mr Pettersson will be considered as part of the YourSay consultation process. The results of the survey will then be published on the YourSay page, following the closing date.
Given the consultation happening as we speak on improvements to Yerrabi Pond, which is receiving high levels of engagement from the community, the way forward is to continue to consult with the community on the upgrades they want to see at Yerrabi Pond. This may include parking; it may include other improvements as well. The government will listen to what the community would like to see and invest in Yerrabi Pond based on those priorities. I thank Ms Castley for her motion, and I move:
Omit (2) (a) to (i) and (3) (a) to (b) and substitute:
“(2) further notes:
(a) Gungahlin is Canberra’s fastest growing region and Yerrabi Pond is a key community recreation area;
(b) the Gungahlin community greatly values Yerrabi Pond and is eager to see increased community facilities there, including those addressing amenity and safety;
(c) a petition with more than 1 000 signatures was lodged in April 2021 detailing the need for better parking, toilets and lighting as well as improved community facilities such as barbecues;
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