Page 4017 - Week 13 - Thursday, 2 December 2021
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Thursday, 2 December 2021
MADAM SPEAKER (Ms Burch) (10.00): Members:
Dhawura nguna, dhawura Ngunnawal.
Yanggu ngalawiri, dhunimanyin Ngunnawalwari dhawurawari.
Nginggada Dindi dhawura Ngunnaawalbun yindjumaralidjinyin.
The words I have just spoken are in the language of the traditional custodians and translate to:
This is Ngunnawal country.
Today we are gathering on Ngunnawal country.
We always pay respect to Elders, female and male, and Ngunnawal country.
Members, I ask you to stand in silence and pray or reflect on our responsibilities to the people of the Australian Capital Territory.
Petitions
The following petitions were lodged for presentation:
Play spaces—playground fencing—petition 30-21
By Mrs Jones, from 451 residents:
To the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory
In 2020 $400,000 was allocated for fully fencing playgrounds. This is not being spent effectively or with proper consultation with families of children with autism.
Playgrounds in Canberra are often built close to roads or ponds. Statistically children with autism are three times more likely to die from drowning and 65% of the incidents with a child with autism involved a close call with traffic.
62% of parents said fear of their child running away stopped from them enjoying activities outside the home.
The ACT Government will only build fences of 1.2m height. Older children with autism can easily get over a 1.2m fence.
Boundless and Turner School playgrounds fences are 1.6m to 2.1m.
Only one of the fully fenced playgrounds listed by Minister Steel in August 2020 met pool fence regulations. There are still 30cm gaps under fences in playgrounds near water.
Your petitioners, therefore, request the Assembly to call upon the Government to:
- create a standard for fully fenced playgrounds incorporating the needs of families of children with autism.
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