Page 2825 - Week 08 - Thursday, 11 August 2016
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We are also taking steps to deliver new services when our community calls for them.This is why we made a decision in this year’s budget to fund the rollout of green bins for garden waste to households that want them. This is a pilot, not a trial. It will be rolled out first to residents in Kambah and Weston Creek because there are a certain number of households there that support the first stage of a city-wide rollout of green waste bins for our city.
As a garden city with tree-lined streets that we all love, the government acknowledges that Canberrans have been proactive in managing their own green waste for many years, but many have asked for a green waste bin to help make their job a little easier. We are listening to our community, which is why we will deliver a green bins scheme offering households the choice to opt in to the service to complement the normal waste and recycling services on offer. The government is listening to what Canberrans want and that is why we are investing more money into better city services to enhance Canberra’s reputation as the world’s most livable city.
This budget recognises the importance of better transport and world-class city services to ensure that Canberra continues to be the most livable city in the world. We recognise the contribution Canberrans make through their rates and they expect great services and infrastructure as a result. The investments made in this budget demonstrate our ongoing commitment to building the infrastructure and delivering the services people want. This is a budget for a very positive and progressive time in Canberra’s history.
We are building an integrated city-wide transport network, funding better roads, delivering essential services and investing in new programs. Work has started this year on the first stage of the city-wide light rail project which will form part of Canberra’s integrated public transport network and, very importantly, reduce congestion on our roads and prevent us from having to build more and more roads into the future. Our suburbs from Forde to Theodore will see the benefits of even more mowing, weeding, playground improvements and local shop upgrades.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I will finish by giving particular thanks to all the staff across the directorate. As the new minister, I certainly recognise that this has been a year of significant change for many of them. I have had the enormous pleasure of meeting many of them and, as you would know, have been dealing directly with the senior executive leadership team in the directorate. They have been responsive and very professional in all their dealings. Perhaps more joyfully, I have enjoyed getting out as often as I can to sites that TCCS operate across our city every day—from the resource recovery centre at Mugga to the Belconnen depot early in the morning for bacon and egg rolls, which were delicious. It has been great to speak with the people in the directorate. They understand our city perhaps like no other group of people in Canberra. I have also visited libraries, Domestic Animal Services—every day they deal with people across our city, often people in distress—our road building crews and staff across the city. They do an incredible job. I have had the opportunity to visit the cemeteries—I have not yet had the opportunity to visit the Capital Linen Service, but I certainly hope to—and the Yarralumla Nursery, which has enormous heritage value and value to the Canberra community as a whole.
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