Page 1525 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 14 May 2014
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increasing the appeal, availability and access to drinking water at public parks and spaces across the city. Ten of the new fountains will be installed at preselected district and neighbourhood ovals in Canberra and the remaining 20 in areas with higher levels of pedestrian activity, such as town group centres, parks, and along major cyclist and pedestrian path networks.
Many members may be aware that the community consultation is currently underway as to where the final 20 drinking fountains should be located based on a shortlist of 30 potential sites. It is open for feedback until this Friday, so there is still time to vote. While there are a number of drinking fountains available across Canberra, not many allow people to easily refill a reusable bottle. This means they are likely to purchase bottled water or sugary drinks while on the go. The ACT government is encouraging people to choose water as the clear drink of choice in Canberra. We believe water fountains in popular public places like sporting ovals and areas with high pedestrian traffic will make it very easy to fill a water bottle with free clean water rather than buy a sugary drink.
The new drinking fountains will not only provide a convenient means to access fresh water for free but also aim to reduce the amount of packages being generated from purchased drinks. The government is taking the lead to implement initiatives that create an environment where making healthy lifestyle choices are easier. Encouraging people to carry reusable bottles and access tap water instead of purchasing sugary drinks is just one way we can achieve healthy weight outcomes.
The government will invest $240,000 over two years in the project with the majority of new fountains to be installed by June 2015. The installation of these new water stations will not only provide the community with a more convenient means to access fresh free water but it will also encourage higher public use of parks and urban spaces by enhancing and improving the amenities that are available.
When it comes to parks and barbecues, as we have discussed in this place fairly recently, the Territory and Municipal Services Directorate currently manages 507 playgrounds. The Economic Development Directorate also design and manage recreational spaces and have created a new model of recreational space referred to as a community recreational irrigated park, or a CRIP. These community parks are smaller parks, generally containing barbecues, a half-size basketball court and seating. The first of them, as members know, is located in Crace with the next one being constructed in Franklin.
A number of community infrastructure projects are currently underway that will see major improvements across a number of parks in Canberra, and I will touch on a number of those. We have seen some recent improvements at Weston park where $2 million was allocated for upgraded works which included a new shared cycle-pedestrian perimeter path, upgrades to car parking at Kurrajong Point and a renewal of the play pond area. Ongoing works include a new picnic shelter, landscaping and associated accessible path networks. The new facilities provide many benefits for increased recreational opportunities for people of all abilities with the new accessible perimeter path. The works connect Weston park with the Lake Burley Griffin circuit offering cyclists the opportunity to extend their rides through Weston park. The
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