Page 439 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 13 February 2013
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Going to some of the comments made by Mr Hanson, the government’s role is to spend taxpayers’ money for the benefit of the entire community. So that does mean delivering core services whilst also balancing the need to spend small sums on the arts, sports and in this case even trees—things that bring pleasure, create a sense of community and pride, and encourage social inclusion.
Mr Hanson also said that the arboretum is a monument to Jon Stanhope. How wrong could he be! But I would acknowledge former Chief Minister Jon Stanhope for his relentless commitment to and his passion for the project. Without him, the arboretum simply would not have occurred. Mr Stanhope persisted where others might not have in the face of strong resistance to his idea. He was determined that the site could be and should be made into the most beautiful place that could be imagined. He took that vision to the community, he took it to the cabinet and he argued his case passionately, believing he would eventually win over the disbelievers. And he did. The doubters are now in the minority and we can see now what a fabulous asset this place is for the people of Canberra.
The arboretum is not a monument to any single, one person. It is a wonderful community facility. It is an investment in the future of our city and future generations. It is a centre of research excellence, it is a centre of volunteer activity, it is a national attraction and it is a place for local celebration and ceremony. These are important areas for the ACT government to lead on and invest in.
Mr Stanhope was there. He did attend the opening of the arboretum, and I was very pleased to have him back from Christmas Island for it. He was the reason that the arboretum happened, but there are a whole load of people who have taken up the challenge that he presented to them. Those are people like:
John Mackay;
the National Arboretum Strategic Advisory Board, all the members that sit on that;
the Friends of the National Arboretum, organised by Jocelyn Plovits;
the Village Building Company, which was one of the first corporate supporters for the arboretum;
ACTEW, who have been up there and invested in the discovery garden;
the members of the National Bonsai and Penjing Collection, who have been housed down at Commonwealth Park and who now have a purpose built place for a national bonsai and penjing collection, a permanent place—and I cannot believe that anyone who has visited that pavilion can walk in there and not have their breath taken away by how stunning the work of those bonsai and penjing artists is and the trees that they have created;
Southern Tablelands Ecosystems Park, STEP, who are always down there, I think, on a Thursday; they have one of the bottom lots at the arboretum.
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