Page 1528 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 1 June 2022
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cavalier Labor-Greens service delivery. Listening to the people in the suburbs does not seem to be a high priority.
Between 20 January 2021 and 8 April this year, residents of and around O’Dea Place sent seven letters to Minister Steel requesting urgent repairs of nearby streets and footpaths. So not only was the minister made aware of this situation by me in early April but the residents themselves have made the minister aware of this situation seven times since January last year. Seven letters requesting safe and functioning streets and footpaths were seven times ignored by this poor service delivery Labor-Greens government—the worst the territory has had in recent history.
It is beyond me why this government does not care more about basic amenities for the citizens of Canberra, particularly when it is encouraging active travel. Unfortunately, active travel is sometimes hazardous travel. Time and again the maintenance of key amenities in the suburbs of Canberra is either half done or fully forgotten. Areas like west Belconnen in particular—and I have been out there, at the request of residents, on many occasions—seem to be continually overlooked and underserviced.
It is absolutely imperative that the safety and accessibility of our streets and footpaths are kept at a high standard through effective and efficient road and footpath maintenance services. I look forward to the day, and maybe it takes a change of government to bring that about, when citizens get the services that they deserve.
Seniors—health and wellbeing
MS DAVIDSON (Murrumbidgee—Assistant Minister for Families and Community Services, Minister for Disability, Minister for Justice Health, Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Veterans and Seniors) (4.40): Last Thursday, 26 June, I had the pleasure of attending and opening the Silver is Gold Seniors Expo at EPIC, organised by the Council of the Ageing ACT. The expo featured a range of health, leisure, hobby and lifestyle stalls catering to the older community in Canberra.
It was a real joy to see how many of our seniors community were at this event, and the number of conversations taking place between older Canberrans with the over 150 stallholders in the panel events, and watching the music and dance performances. I personally found the conversation between Janet Jeffs from Ginger Catering and Maggie Beer about good food both for nutrition and for social needs in aged care to be very, very informative. The social connection and wellbeing of our older community is something I have been very concerned about over the last couple of years, so it was amazing to see so many older Canberrans out and about and engaged in the community. I thank COTA ACT for organising such an amazing event.
But we cannot become complacent. COVID-19 continues to spread in our community, and our older community are among our most at risk. I encourage all Canberrans who have not yet received their booster for COVID to do so, and I take this opportunity to remind older Canberrans that they are eligible to receive a winter booster. People aged 16 to 64 years with immunocompromising conditions and people that have significant or complex health needs or multiple comorbidities are also eligible to receive a winter booster. This is particularly important as we head into winter, when we will likely see
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