Page 174 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 11 February 2015
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In addition, the National Arboretum provides the fantastic Pod playground, with giant acorns and banksia cone cubbies. This playground has quickly become one of the most popular spots in town for visitors and many of Canberra’s families. These are just some of the one million visitors that have now been to the arboretum.
The park hierarchy has culminated in TAMS currently managing 486 playgrounds and 19 skate parks. That might go to the issue of the differing numbers which came up in Mrs Jones’s remarks. However, TAMS is not the only directorate to build and manage playgrounds; this may also go the issue of numbers.
In my role as Minister for Sport and Recreation I have a strong interest in the design and management of recreational spaces referred to as community irrigated recreational parks. These community parks are smaller parks, generally containing barbecues, a half-size basketball court and seating. The first of these parks is located in Crace, with the next one under construction in Franklin. The education directorate manages playgrounds within schools, and the Community Services Directorate has some playgrounds at some of its ACT Housing properties.
I would also like to note that TAMS has a number of playgrounds which cater for children of all abilities, and there has been major fundraising to create Boundless, a purpose-built all-abilities playground in Grevillea Park designed for a range of ages and developmental stages. I note the comment Mrs Jones made yesterday in her feedback that she sought to provide around parking at the Boundless playground. I have taken this issue up before with the Community Services Directorate, who have led the development of that playground. I am aware of, and quite a few people have raised with me their concern about, the shortage of parking spaces at that location. I have specifically discussed this with the people involved in the development.
The answer to the question is in the provision of the correct number of parking spaces. Mrs Jones may wish to pay attention to this so that she knows the answer to the question in the future. The provision of parking spaces at Boundless was designed with a small car park nearby. Then, in recognition of the significant parklands in the area and the large number of parking spaces available across the road, a decision was taken to utilise and account for parking spaces across the road on the other side of Parkes Way.
Mrs Jones interjecting—
MR RATTENBURY: Before we stop, I will continue with the answer. There are on the other side of Parkes Way several hundred parking spaces attached to the Defence headquarters. There is then a full-scale pedestrian facility to get from those car parks, including pedestrian crossings and signalised traffic lights to move across—and pathways. So the answer provided to me by those who designed the Boundless playground was that their view was that, with those very many parking spaces within a couple of hundred metres walk, that was considered to provide adequate parking for the facility. Members may dispute that, but that is the origin and the basis on which the design of the site was put together by those who designed it.
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