Page 828 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 9 March 2016
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Time and again we see governments that have been in power for too long take advantage of the people they represent. This government is no different. This government is too comfortable with its public office. It is becoming lazy, slow and disrespectful. It is not transparent. It is simply increasing rates for more and more money to spend on projects like the light rail rather than working hard to see what will actually deliver meaningful actions and outcomes for people in the suburbs of Canberra.
Delays and confusion about when the Molonglo group centre will be built do not only affect those who want to shop at the supermarkets and buy the newspaper from the newsagency; they are also a dampener on business and community confidence. The group centre should be a place for young people to get jobs, for locals to get to know one another, and for community groups to spread their message and help make a difference. Group centres are more than just a place to shop after work. They have a big impact on how people feel about their community, and on the look and function of a community as well. It is vital that the government lets us know when the community of Molonglo will have their group centre and when Weston Creek residents will be relieved of this additional pressure.
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Minister for Planning and Land Management, Minister for Racing and Gaming and Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations) (11.19): I thank Mrs Jones for bringing this motion here today. The government has been doing quite a bit of work in the Woden-Weston areas, and particularly of course in the new suburbs of the Molonglo Valley. Madam Deputy Speaker, I have circulated an amendment to Mrs Jones’s motion which more reflects the work that the government has been doing. I move:
Omit all words after “population of 55 000 residents” in paragraph (1)(d), substitute:
“who will have access to a wide range of community and commercial facilities; and
(e) the recent addition of over 75 car spaces to the current Weston Creek group centre; and
(2) calls on the Government to
(a) continue to monitor the demand for car spaces in the Weston Creek group centre; and
(b) continue to work with the community around the need for an additional group centre in the Molonglo Valley in the future.”.
The government does that work, and continues to do that work, around Weston and the new suburbs of Molonglo. This part of Canberra is a fast-growing one, and the government is committed to continuing to plan for this growth in a sustainable and logical manner, ensuring that there are adequate services and transport options for current and future residents.
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