Page 616 - Week 02 - Thursday, 20 February 2020

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come and enjoy. Organisers have taken these matters into consideration. The festival also gives us a chance to come together, to bring our community together in a spirit of resilience and generosity.

Many charity organisations will be collecting funds throughout the festival’s footprint to support people affected by the bushfires. I look forward to seeing Canberrans there and I encourage them to get safely to and from the festival by using the extra transport services that will be provided across buses and light rail.

MRS KIKKERT: Minister, why are there fewer stalls this year than in last year’s Multicultural Festival?

MR STEEL: I thank the member for her question. Obviously, we have had the China stage pull out this year. That has meant that there is less of a presence from the very significant Chinese community, the largest multicultural community in Canberra. That has had an impact on the number of stallholders.

However, this year we have more community stallholders than in the previous year, which is fantastic to see. The community rate for renting a stall is the same as it has been for just under 10 years, so the government is further subsidising community groups to get involved in the festival, and we are also investing more in the performers that we are bringing into the festival, the headline performers. We have actually had trouble fitting in the whole range of performers who wanted to come from the community to perform across the six stages. I would like to thank the festival organisers for their work in supporting this proudly community-based festival, which is such a symbol of our multicultural city.

Parking—Braddon

MS LAWDER: My question is to the Minister for City Services. Minister, I refer to two new “2-hour parking with ticket” signs at either end of Lonsdale Street, Braddon.

Minister, when were these signs installed?

MR STEEL: I am happy to take that question on notice and come back to the Assembly on it.

MS LAWDER: Minister, how are people who enter Lonsdale Street from Eloura Street supposed to know that the centre street parking is now ticketed?

MR STEEL: I thank the member for her question. I am happy to come back in relation to the parking arrangements in Braddon.

MISS C BURCH: Minister, what engagement have you had with local businesses on the parking in Lonsdale Street?

MR STEEL: I thank the member for her question. Often Transport Canberra and City Services does engage, particularly with local businesses, when changes to parking arrangements are made. I will come back to the Assembly with some further detail around that. I understand that the City Renewal Authority may have had a role in that as well.


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