Page 5097 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 26 October 2011

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pool. In the lead-up to the 2008 election the Labor government promised a $20 million aquatic centre for Gungahlin. Unsurprisingly, the people of Gungahlin continue to wait for this pool that they were promised, and only late last year they learnt that they may still get a pool but certainly not the one they were promised. The government tried to tell the young families of Gungahlin for whom swimming lessons for their children was a vital issue that they did not need a 50-metre pool. But the Canberra Liberals did not agree, and after passionate lobbying by Gungahlin residents and a Liberals’ motion in the Assembly, which I note was not supported by either of the other parties, the government were forced to back down. The Gungahlin residents have now been told that they will receive a 50-metre pool after all. However, given this government’s record on actually completing infrastructure projects, the residents should not be holding their breath that it will happen any time soon.

The sentiment of the Gungahlin residents can be best summed up in an email that was sent to Minister Barr in October 2010. A copy was provided to us and it states:

People living in Gungahlin have no high speed broadband, the roads are narrow, digging up trees to expand the road is routine business. There is no strategy in place to accommodate the expansion of the population. Gungahlin is an excellent example to demonstrate the lack of planning by the current Government, ranging from the infrastructure to the telecommunications to the swimming pool.

I am extremely disappointed at the Labor Government’s performance in this area, I don’t think you deserve another chance.

I commend Alistair Coe for bringing this issue to the Assembly. It is high time that this government took action on Gungahlin.

Question put:

That Mr Corbell’s amendment be agreed to.

The Assembly voted—

Ayes 6

Noes 8

Mr Barr

Mr Hargreaves

Mr Coe

Ms Le Couteur

Dr Bourke

Ms Porter

Mr Doszpot

Mr Rattenbury

Ms Burch

Mrs Dunne

Mr Seselja

Mr Corbell

Ms Hunter

Mr Smyth

Question so resolved in the negative.

Amendment negatived.

MS LE COUTEUR (Molonglo) (8.30): I seek leave to move my amendment, which is in three parts.

Leave granted.

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