Page 4208 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 23 October 2019

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video


Of course, with 102 different owners, that is a challenging task but I acknowledge today the significant work being undertaken by many of those owners to improve the amenity of the buildings. The government has obviously undertaken a lot of work to the public areas surrounding those buildings, particularly on Northbourne Avenue, on both the Sydney and Melbourne buildings.

We have seen groups of owners work together to improve these facilities, and I look forward to that work progressing. There is one really great example happening now in the Sydney building.

MS CODY: Chief Minister, what initiatives has the CRA taken to improve wider amenity in the city?

MR BARR: The City Renewal Authority has been very active in working with property owners large and small, with tenants and, indeed, across various ACT government agencies to address some infrastructure challenges within the city. A lot of capital works are underway right now—surrounding this building and on Mort Street—and a lot of other public realm improvements have been undertaken in recent times.

The CRA has also been very focused on wanting to make the city a more attractive place for people to visit, to stay and to enjoy the amenity. You see everything from the garden of enchantment in Garema Place through to, just outside this building, the chairs, tables and umbrellas to allow people to eat lunch in Civic Square. There are any number of those sorts of quite low cost but high value interventions that have made the city a more pleasant place to be.

Opposition members interjecting—

MR BARR: Thousands of Canberrans are enjoying that extra amenity. Of course there are always cynics, and we have just heard a few interjections from the people who are usually cynical about these things but it has made a big difference to the city. Of course, a range of events and activities is supported by the City Renewal Authority throughout the year.

Again, there will always be cynics; there will always be miserable critics who sit and bitch and moan about these things but, overall—

MADAM SPEAKER: I ask that you be careful with your language, Chief Minister.

MR BARR: I withdraw. There will be those who bellyache, those who are upset and those who oppose this.

Bimberi Youth Justice Centre—lockdowns

MRS KIKKERT: My question is to the Minister for Children, Youth and Families. Minister, we have been told by multiple sources that operational lockdowns at Bimberi have increased in the wake of the event on 26 August and in fact are


Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video