Page 4314 - Week 13 - Thursday, 17 November 2005
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
nature experience. It will also play an important role in regional and national recovery programs for threatened species, with breeding and captive husbandry programs for the brush-tailed rock wallaby and the northern corroboree frog. The full project is expected to be completed in 2008 at a cost of about $5 million and will take Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve one step nearer to offering world-class “close encounters” with native flora and fauna.
The ACT government has also committed $1.8 million for works to be delivered over the next 18 months. They will include new walking tracks, veterinary facilities, visitor signs and a water reticulation system. Since the bushfires, $4.5 million has been spent on other infrastructure reinstatement.
The ACT government has proven its commitment to this beautiful area and has worked hard to promote its attractions to Canberrans and the nation. The Tidbinbilla precinct is one of Canberra’s most beautiful and renowned regions and offers the community a huge variety of activities, attractions and exhibitions. There always seems to be something new and exciting on offer, particularly during the school holidays. Perhaps the largest and most exciting event to be held over the next few weeks is the Brindabella Challenge.
Recognising that Canberra is Australia’s most bike friendly city and that the ACT is a fantastic place to ride, Australian Capital Tourism has partnered with a variety of cycling organisations to launch the Brindabella Challenge. The event will be held over the weekend of 2 to 4 December and will involve over 15 events and many major cycling races covering all cycling disciplines, including road biking, mountain biking and BMX. There will also be entertainment and activities for spectators. There is over $30,000 worth of prize money to be won.
But the challenge is not only about racing. It is also about riding for fun. There is something for everyone, with a huge range of races, rides and activities for all ages and all levels of fitness. Excitingly, there will be a ride that tours Tidbinbilla, including lunch at the deep space tracking station, and the Brindabella MTB race will take place through the beautiful Brindabella Mountains. I am sure that members will all agree that riders will have the opportunity to travel through Canberra’s most breathtaking scenery. I encourage everyone to get involved in the challenge, be it as a rider or a spectator.
Visitors to Canberra will be able to experience all the wonderful things Tidbinbilla has to offer. We are lucky that the Tidbinbilla precinct is in our own backyard and that we can visit whenever we have the opportunity. I urge everyone to take advantage of this wonderful natural resource and help look after it so that we can ensure its preservation well into the future.
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (3.34): Apart from the lengthy elucidation of the merits of the pre-fire Tidbinbilla, I am a little perplexed as to what Ms MacDonald hoped to achieve today. There was much that Ms MacDonald said about the importance of Tidbinbilla. Having, in a previous life, worked for the minister for the environment who set up many of the initiatives at Tidbinbilla, I am aware of much that went on there and much that was good of the old homesteads of Nil Desperandum and Rock Valley and of the original Farrer planting plots in the far end of the Tidbinbilla Valley.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .