Page 3604 - Week 10 - Thursday, 19 September 2019
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
local shops, and in even doorknocking houses in her suburb, so incensed was she by the removal of buses in her suburb. She has passed on to me not just the petition which has been lodged today but a number of comments from residents of Wanniassa that she collected during her walking around the streets and doorknocking. Let me quote:
For the past six weeks I have been speaking with many residents of Wanniassa and beyond affected by the cancellation of bus services in the suburb. These discussions have taken place at shopping centres, bus stops and in general walking the streets—
and doorknocking—
These cancellations have had a huge impact on people living in the Wanniassa Hills and Wanniassa area.
The distance to a bus stops now for a large number of households is over a kilometre and in some instances further. Much of the area is steep and uphill all the way. For others it is walking through an underpass and they don’t feel safe. Some don’t feel safe coming home from work in the dark and walking that distance—
which is much further—
Canberra is freezing in winter and hot in summer. Can you imagine what it is like for people with health issues walking over a kilometre up steep hills. Try walking in heels and carrying groceries. In summer people are going to be heat affected. In winter and wet weather and burn offs asthmatics are going to be put at risk.
There are many health issues, Madam Speaker. She goes on to say:
We don’t want to hear from the government … to stay indoors and out of the heat. That is a ridiculous statement when people have to rely on a bus service for all sorts of things.
She goes on:
For a month I walked the streets in the area that was serviced by the two bus routes that used to run along Longmore Cres and spoke with as many residents as possible to see what affect those cancellations had on them.
She continues:
… when I started looking into this I had no idea what an impact it had on people and how it had dramatically changed their lives and made their lives extremely difficult. In some instances it has totally robbed people of their independence and their social inclusion of day to day living.
I came across households where there was a sole resident. They were able to maintain their home and their garden but no longer had a car. The bus route was their life line to their independence. They could go to the shops, the bank, the
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video