Page 1711 - Week 06 - Thursday, 3 June 2021
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MR PARTON: Minister, why wasn’t a temporary dog park erected in Tuggeranong as it was in Yarralumla? Given the high population of dogs in Tuggeranong, where exactly do you expect dogs to exercise if people are specifically looking for a dog park?
MR STEEL: There is an inner north dog park; there are dog parks in Gungahlin and Belconnen. There is a whole range of different enclosed dog parks. There are also many spaces right across Canberra that are provided. People can have a look on ACTmapi; it very clearly states where dogs can be exercised. They can do so on a leash if the dog tends to run off or, if people have control over their animal and it can be recalled, they can do it off leash on many ovals around Canberra, while this important work is being undertaken.
Our government is committed to making sure that we have great quality public spaces, including for recreation of animals. We committed to build two new dog parks at the election—something that only Labor committed to—in Franklin and in Lanyon. We are committed to making sure that our existing dog parks are also available for the community. That includes Duffy, which is also available on the south side for people who may want to use a dedicated dog park while this work is being undertaken at Tuggeranong.
In relation to Yarralumla, while we did explore the provision of a temporary dog park, we consulted with residents in the area and, as a result of that consultation, we did not provide that temporary dog park. We do talk to the community about these issues, but these are important upgrades, and they just need to be undertaken.
Roads—Well Station Drive
MS CASTLEY: My question is to the Minister for Transport and City Services. I refer to the recently released proposals to upgrade Harrison roads to prepare for the 2023 opening of Kenny High School. The plans do not include duplicating Well Station Drive other than a few metres outside the school entrance even though the road duplication was recommended by the independent traffic impact assessment report. The report also recommends other measures that TCCS have ignored. Minister, you told the Gungahlin Community Council in May that there wasn’t time to duplicate the road and it could be done in the future. Why cannot this 300-metre stretch of road be duplicated within 18 months, before the school opens?
MR STEEL: I thank the member for her question, noting the investment that our government is making to improve road connections but also to make sure that we have got the provision of great education facilities for young people in the Gungahlin region. As part of that work and to make sure that we have a brand new school available in Kenny—I think it opens in 2023—we need to undertake upgrades to facilitate the school. We know that the scope of upgrades that we need to undertake within that time period is the extension of Albatross Crescent to facilitate access to the school. And that is what we are doing.
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