Page 5215 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 29 November 2017
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this ACT government has achieved in the first year of my first term. The list is certainly very long. Today I would like to take time to reflect on just a sample of the achievements, including and in addition to what Mr Pettersson has raised in his motion, that have come out of the hard work of this government and the Canberra community over the past 12 months.
I would like to first address Mrs Dunne’s comments about the walk-in clinics. I note she quoted just one critic, not “constituents”, as she wanted us to believe. You might be able to tell from my voice, Madam Assistant Speaker, that I am a little under the weather myself, and I actually presented to a walk-in clinic on Monday afternoon, at about quarter to 6, to get an assessment of what was wrong with me, whether anything needed to be done and whether it was serious enough for me to present perhaps to a GP. My experience reflects the constant praise that these clinics receive—that they are clean, that they are professional and that you are seen to quickly. I waited for no more than 15 minutes to be seen. My nurse was incredibly professional and incredibly thorough. The diagnosis for me was that I had laryngitis and all I needed was some rest, which I am getting plenty of, but not much in this chamber.
I want to talk about some of the exciting things that have happened. One of them, at the beginning of the year, for me pinpoints exactly the progress that we are making in a range of areas. I was treated to a tour of the new medical radiation science lab at UC. That lab represents the very best in medical imaging training and complements new medical radiation courses provided at the university. This new facility supports students undertaking the first medical imaging qualification available in Canberra. It is a clear example of the growing education and work opportunities in Canberra, and it complements the University of Canberra public hospital, which will be completed next year. We know that there was a further investment of $16 million dedicated to operationalise the facility in this year’s budget.
More broadly, Belconnen town centre has undergone considerable change over the past 12 months. We have seen a number of new private developments come online, or being flagged as coming online, and the population has been booming. The ACT government has responded by staying on the front foot and investing in the arts and infrastructure in the town centre to support the wellbeing and practical needs of the growing population.
This year we committed $15 million in the budget to stage 2 of the Belconnen Arts Centre. It will add new community spaces, improve workshop spaces and bring new dance studios and an expanded exhibition space. The design of the Belco bikeway is underway and the duplication of Aikman Drive was formally completed just last week. The duplication of Aikman Drive not just assists the town centre’s growth and helps with access to the University of Canberra public hospital; it is also part of the route for the new black rapid, which is connecting the Belconnen and Gungahlin town centres.
The ACT is renowned for the quality of our public education, and we have continued to invest in the future of Canberra kids. In my electorate several schools have shared in more than $90 million in this year’s budget for classroom and facility upgrades. This is on top of the $20 million over a number of years that has been invested in
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