Page 1913 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 3 June 2015
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The Belconnen nurse-led walk-in centre has proved itself over the last year and the Belconnen community health centre opened a couple of years ago. These are recent but not new budget initiatives. However, they are part of this government’s significant investment in health infrastructure in Belconnen over recent years, in addition to the new measures for Belconnen announced in this budget. They not only add to the health of our community but are significant economic drivers, providing employment, skilled careers and training in our local Belconnen economy.
In education this budget’s highlight is the bright future for Belconnen High School. The ACT government is investing over $17 million in this year’s budget for a major refurbishment of the school, including an external outdoor learning area and a new school administration area. The refurbishment has been strongly influenced by detailed consultation with the school community, teachers and parents. Extra funding is included in the outyears for operation of the new campus, taking the spend up to $18.4 million. Detailed design work on the school will commence immediately, with construction and refurbishment expected to commence in February 2016 and completion by late 2017. The recent demolition of a wing at the rear of the school has cleared the way for the new work and a renewed Belconnen High School.
Belconnen primary schools will also be part of the program to upgrade to computers and wi-fi infrastructure. Upgrades to the Bruce campus of CIT costing $1.7 million are also included in this budget.
In the last sittings I outlined some of the ongoing roads and traffic upgrades and maintenance in Belconnen keeping our community moving freely. This budget includes $2.5 million over two years for feasibility and design studies for six intersections and access routes across Canberra. In Belconnen these are for traffic signals in Weetangera, at the intersection of Belconnen Way and Springvale Drive; in Evatt, at the intersection of Kuringa Drive and Owen Dixon Drive; and in Dunlop, at the intersection of Lance Hill Avenue and Ginninderra Drive.
As part of keeping Canberrans healthy and active, this budget also includes funding of $100,000 for a feasibility study into improved footpath and cycling connections within Belconnen town centre and another $100,000 for a study of connections between west Belconnen, Belconnen town centre and other town centres.
Kaleen will be part of a $500,000 program of creating age-friendly suburbs, making it easier for senior Canberrans to get around. Over two years the project will include a feasibility study, then detailed designs and construction of age-friendly facilities in Kaleen and in the Tuggeranong Valley. There will be new footpaths, widened footpaths, community paths, traffic islands, refuge spots, wheelchair ramps and other best practice age-friendly infrastructure installed.
In addition, $495,000 in this budget is to continue the flexible transport bus service across the town centres for people with a disability and for seniors. Pensioners and concession cardholders will also continue to enjoy the bulky waste collection, with $400,000 allocated in this budget for that service.
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