Page 980 - Week 03 - Thursday, 10 March 2016
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have a situation whereby what little light is being emitted from these bulbs does not actually cast any light on to any relevant areas, meaning that they are, in effect, redundant. Residents often contact the opposition in frustration over streetlights which have been out for weeks or even months. This should not be in the too-hard basket. The provision of streetlights is something which quite a few other towns and cities seem to conquer, but here in the ACT we seem to struggle with it on a regular basis.
Perhaps the number one issue of concern for so many Canberrans is the quality of the public land and the public space around local shops. They are, of course, the heart of local communities, but this government has neglected them for years. There are many local shops that are run down and neglected, despite the very best efforts of business owners and landowners across the ACT. Owners and businesses at local shops work hard to provide great services to their local communities, but they are so often being let down by the government’s neglect of the public realm.
In September 2012 the government promised, if it was re-elected, 11 major upgrades and eight minor upgrades that would be completed over four years. Indeed, every few months the government puts out a media release announcing an upgrade to local shops. I think they announced Cook shops about 13 times in about six months. Sometimes parts of it got done; parts of it did not get done. There are parts in media releases have not been done and parts that were in media releases that have. However, the truth is that it is going to take more than spin to get many of these local shops upgraded by the time of the next election. The government talks about the importance of local shops but in four years they have delivered very little.
Another area of real concern to Canberrans is trees and the maintenance, or lack thereof, of street trees. Overgrown native trees are very problematic in many suburbs across Canberra. Many of these trees are located close to houses, powerlines and other assets. This means that frequent inspections and frequent pruning are necessary. However, it seems that when a reasonable or sensible request is put to the government to have a street tree removed that has died or is dying, or that is a serious risk to people or property, they have to jump through so many hoops in order to have that tree removed. Yet we have a government that says they can abolish 871 trees between Gungahlin and the city, and there is no problem there.
It is a pretty serious double standard. You can have a tree in your backyard which has roots that are blocking pipes. It might have a trunk which is rotting. It might have limbs which are at risk of falling off and falling on play equipment or a roof, and the government does not give approval for it to be removed. Meanwhile, you do a deal with the Greens after the last election and you can knock off 870 trees. The inconsistent position of this government is stark.
Of course, the government’s mowing program is another constant source of frustration for the community. The government has failed time and time again to get on top of this program. Once again, we seem to get this standard media release from the government pretty much every November, “Shock! Spring has come around again. We need to mow. But we don’t have enough resources because we got surprised by spring coming.” It happens time and time again. It is quite extraordinary. For the rates, fees, charges and taxes that all Canberrans pay, I think they deserve better than what they currently get.
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