Page 2037 - Week 07 - Thursday, 24 June 2021
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Municipal services—Gwydir Square shops
MR MILLIGAN: My question is to the Minister for Transport and City Services. The community consultation on the Gwydir Square shops in Kaleen ended on 10 May.
Over two months ago, on 7 April, the Canberra Liberals wrote to you asking you to meet with traders but have not received a response. Minister, will you meet with the Gwydir Square traders who want to speak to you about their concerns?
MR STEEL: I thank the member for his question. In relation to the upgrades that our government committed to undertake right around Canberra, including at Kaleen Gwydir Square shops, we have been engaging with the community. Officials were holding pop-ups at the shops and listening to the views of the community. I have been down there myself to speak with some of the business owners as well, including when I launched the consultation on the upgrades.
We are looking forward to having all of that input from the community, business owners and community members in Kaleen and beyond; in Lawson as well. I know many people from right around Belconnen come to use the shopping centre. That will all feed into the work that will be done on the final designs. We will take that community feedback on board to make sure that these important community hubs remain fantastic places to visit, to do business and, for children, to play. We are looking forward to those designs being released in the future, and I hope that will not be too far away.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Milligan.
MR MILLIGAN: Minister, what was the outcome of the Gwydir Square community consultation? Will you meet with residents and traders as a group, and what is the outcome of their concerns about wanting public toilets?
MR STEEL: I thank the member for his question. I do not intend to make announcements during question time, Madam Speaker. That would, of course, be out of order. What I can say is that we will take on board the community’s feedback. The Canberra Liberals seem to have a concern with us doing consultation with the community on upgrades. We undertake consultation in the lead-up to the upgrades we will be doing on Lake Tuggeranong foreshore. I know Ms Lawder has had an issue with that.
We will do it in relation to shopping centre upgrades and playground upgrades because we want to hear from the community about those issues. I have been very clear that we have not ruled out anything in relation to upgrades and, of course, we will hear their views in relation to issues like toilets. If toilets are opted for, it means we cannot do as many other things around the shops, so that needs to be taken into account, and it will be, in the final designs, which I look forward to seeing once they are developed by Transport Canberra and City Services on the basis of the consultation that has been undertaken directly with the community.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video