Page 2931 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 14 August 2019
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
South.Point, as we call it now—
on Anketell Street. This was passed onto a parliamentary committee and to date we have not had a formal response.
This was back in May.
We wrote that “One of the most significant issues identified in last year’s Tuggeranong Liveability Survey was the importance of revitalising the Tuggeranong Town Centre. The single biggest negative impact on improving the amenity and revitalisation of the area, is the use of Anketell Street by … buses.
Anketell Street is directly in front of the Hyperdome (now South.Point) and houses many outdoor cafes where people want to sit, eat and talk. This is very difficult to do comfortably when every few minutes, buses travel along this street on the way to the Tuggeranong Interchange. As a result, diners are expected to relax in a noisy environment which is not conducive to conversation or good health as they are subjected to bus and car emissions whilst undertaking their coffee and/or meals.”
We have heard about this at many Tuggeranong Community Council meetings. In fact I think when Mr Steel came along late last year he told the Tuggeranong Community Council that he was working with Ms Burch and it was up to Ms Burch as to whether buses would go along the street. The question to Mr Steel from 2 October 2018 was, “What’s happened to the decision to remove the Anketell buses? Fumes and noise are a major problem.” Back then, on 2 October 2018, Mr Steel said, “I’m still having discussions with Joy Burch about whether this can be done.” I am a little confused by that statement, as to why Ms Burch has the final say on whether there are buses in Anketell Street, but that is what Mr Steel said back in October. He said, “I’m still thinking about it,” when he finished his presentation in answer to another question. This is from the Tuggeranong Community Council meeting of that day.
The time has come for something to be done, not more thinking about it. We had a petition for two years. We have had the whole area closed for over six months. That was plenty of thinking time. Now is the time to do something to just improve the amenity for Tuggeranong residents. Mr Steel has made it clear that he was thinking about it at least from October last year when he was asked at the Tuggeranong Community Council. That is going on for a year ago now. Mr Steel has had plenty of time to be thinking about this issue. Please can we see some action so that residents of Tuggeranong and their guests and visitors can sit down there, patronise and support their local businesses out there in the front of South.Point and do that in peace and quiet. This is surely not too much to ask for.
I ask members here today to think very clearly and carefully about their support or otherwise for this motion, because it will be very clear to Tuggeranong residents and Tuggeranong Community Council members how they view the residents of Tuggeranong from their response to today’s motion.
MR STEEL (Murrumbidgee—Minister for Community Services and Facilities, Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Minister for Transport and City Services) (4.33): I am very pleased to speak on this motion as a Tuggeranong resident and to
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video