Page 1648 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 9 May 2018

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was talking about in the paper last week. The Liberal Party always seem so keen to be running things, but they seem equally keen to be running them into the ground.

That is why Canberra people keep showing confidence in the Labor Party. It is because we have the commitment to growing services for a growing city. We need to invest in our city now because Canberra is growing rapidly. In 2016-17 our economy grew by 4.6 per cent, the strongest growth rate of the states and territories and well above the national average of two per cent.

At the last election Mr Barr laid out an ambitious plan to make Canberra even better, and now this government is delivering. Over the next four years we are investing $3 billion in infrastructure to meet the community’s needs today while laying the groundwork for our growth in the years and decades to come.

Our city’s growth is important but it is also a challenge. Canberra is already more lively and diverse today because of it, but we know that services and infrastructure have to grow alongside our community to make sure a bigger Canberra is also a better one.

The construction of Canberra’s light rail network is the most significant transport project this city has ever embarked upon. With construction on stage 1 from Gungahlin to the city now well on track for completion in late 2018, we are driving ahead with stage 2 to Woden, in stark contrast to what Zed would like to see. The Liberal senator seems to want fewer jobs—

MADAM SPEAKER: Ms Cody, when you are making the reference, can you refer to Senator Seselja?

MS CODY: Sorry, of course I can, Madam Speaker.

MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you.

MS CODY: The Liberal senator seems to want fewer jobs, fewer transport options and fewer services in our city. One new service I have been especially enthusiastic about is the rollout of our green bins. As at March 2018, the pilot had generated over 9,400 registrations from approximately 16,500 eligible households, with around 34 per cent of these claiming to hold a concession card.

The pilot commenced on 18 April 2017. From then to February 2018, around 2,200 tonnes of garden organic green waste has been collected. This includes the expansion to Tuggeranong. Contamination rates for Weston Creek and Kambah remain low at 0.01 per cent or 15 grams per participating household, demonstrating an excellent result.

As Canberra is growing, so is our health service. Our community places considerable importance on investment in high quality health services across our city. To meet this growing demand we have planned and delivered health services where they are needed, including in the community and in hospitals. The health services we have


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