Page 4358 - Week 12 - Thursday, 24 October 2019
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The government will achieve this through strategic infrastructure planning, practical investment and timely, cost-effective delivery of infrastructure. Investment in greenfield, infill and urban renewal areas will include engineering infrastructure, living infrastructure and social infrastructure all working towards the overarching directions set out in the planning strategy.
The government has shown through our infrastructure plan and planning strategy that it is focused on Canberra’s future. We are looking ahead to the challenges that we will face, such as population growth and climate change. We want to be prepared for those tests and not be in denial about whether they will happen.
My focus will continue to be on supporting sustainable growth and infrastructure investment in our city and on the delivery of planning services and environmental management, making Canberra the best place to live in Australia.
Canberra Hospital—SPIRE project
MISS C BURCH: My question is to the Minister for Health. Minister, where will the HAZMAT facilities be housed in the SPIRE 2 emergency department? Has there been any detailed planning and consultation with industry on this?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: There has been engagement with specialists and experts across all of the areas that will be incorporated into the SPIRE facility, again, I note, the largest investment in health infrastructure since self-government. It is a great new facility that the opposition can only talk down. They have only one mode of operation at the moment: negative, negative, negative. They have no positive plans for the future of Canberra.
I can assure Miss C Burch that experts and clinicians are being consulted throughout this process. As I said, while substantial progress has been made, and I have just detailed some of that, the detailed design process is underway. We are planning to break ground on this project in early 2021. This is the way that infrastructure projects work. They require a lot of planning before you actually start building. This work is ongoing. It is an iterative process. We will continue to conduct that process in collaboration with experts, clinicians and consumers.
MISS C BURCH: Minister, what is the risk assessment for hazardous materials impacting on the health and safety of Garran’s local residents and the students and staff of Garran primary?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: That is a rather pre-emptive question. To make any assumption that there will be any additional risk to local residents let alone primary school students from the location of this site is absolutely pre-emptive and is scaremongering of the worst kind. That is part of the Canberra Liberals’ strategy: negative scaremongering. They do not have any positive vision for the future of this city. All they can do is nip, nip, nip and scaremonger among the community. They never reassure anybody, they never seek facts and they never try to put facts on the table. That is why Canberrans understand that the Canberra Liberals are completely out of touch with their values.
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