Hansard.Act.Gov.Au Wednesday, 10 February 2021
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TENTH ASSEMBLY 10 FEBRUARY 2021 www.hansard.act.gov.au Wednesday, 10 February 2021 Petition: Planning—Giralang shops—petition 4-21 .................................................. 343 Motion to take note of petition ................................................................................... 344 Housing—strategy (Ministerial statement) ................................................................ 345 Planning and Development Amendment Bill 2021 ................................................... 348 Government Procurement (Secure Local Jobs) Code 2020 (Motion to disallow) ..... 350 Education and Community Inclusion—Standing Committee .................................... 354 COVID-19 Emergency Response Legislation Amendment Bill 2020 (No 3) ........... 355 Gungahlin—town centre ............................................................................................ 365 Questions without notice: ACT public service—integrity ....................................................................... 378 ACT public service—integrity ....................................................................... 379 Drugs—pill testing ......................................................................................... 379 Schools—modular learning centres ................................................................ 381 Public housing—disruptive behaviour ........................................................... 381 Budget—climate action .................................................................................. 383 Environment—electric vehicle charging stations ........................................... 384 Land—sales .................................................................................................... 385 Health—walk-in centres ................................................................................. 386 Municipal services—abandoned vehicles ...................................................... 388 Gungahlin—multipurpose centre ................................................................... 389 Legislative Assembly—women’s caucus ....................................................... 389 Courts—backlogs ........................................................................................... 391 Gungahlin—swimming pool .......................................................................... 393 Light rail—stage 2A ....................................................................................... 394 Supplementary answer to question without notice: Municipal services—abandoned vehicles ...................................................... 396 Paper .......................................................................................................................... 396 Education—financial literacy .................................................................................... 397 Housing—policy ........................................................................................................ 407 Adjournment: Parkrun ............................................................................................................ 419 Australian Muslim Friendship Organisation .................................................. 420 Gungahlin Community Council ...................................................................... 420 Health—eating disorder residential treatment ................................................ 420 Indian agricultural reform protests ................................................................. 421 Ahmadiyya Muslim Association .................................................................... 421 Health—skin cancer ....................................................................................... 423 Arts—community events ................................................................................ 424 Canberra Business Woman of the Year award ............................................... 425 Schedule of amendments: Schedule 1: Covid-19 Emergency Response Legislation Amendment Bill 2020 (No 3) ......................................................................................... 428 Legislative Assembly for the ACT Wednesday, 10 February 2021 MADAM SPEAKER (Ms Burch) (10.00): Members: Dhawura nguna, dhawura Ngunnawal. Yanggu ngalawiri, dhunimanyin Ngunnawalwari dhawurawari. Nginggada Dindi dhawura Ngunnaawalbun yindjumaralidjinyin. The words I have just spoken are in the language of the traditional custodians and translate to: This is Ngunnawal country. Today we are gathering on Ngunnawal country. We always pay respect to Elders, female and male, and Ngunnawal country. Members, I ask you to stand in silence and pray or reflect on our responsibilities to the people of the Australian Capital Territory. Petition The following petition was lodged for presentation: Planning—Giralang shops—petition 4-21 By Ms Orr, from 584 residents: To the Speaker and members of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Territory The residents and supporters of Giralang note that: − The local shops in Giralang have sat unused and in a state of semi-development for 15 years; − Progress has been made with the developer settling the legal action against them and gaining approval for a Development Application; − Over that last 12 months however progress to build the shops has stalled with no supermarket secured and the development taken off the sales market; − The developer, who is ultimately responsible under the lease for progressing the shops, has provided only one update to the community in this time, which provided no clear indication of what happens next. As such, the residents of Giralang hereby petition the ACT Legislative Assembly to: − Seek a full update from the developer on any progress and when we can see action on delivering our shops. Pursuant to standing order 99A, the petition, having more than 500 signatories, was referred to the Standing Committee on Planning, Transport and City Services. 343 10 February 2021 Legislative Assembly for the ACT The Clerk having announced that the terms of the petition would be recorded in Hansard and referred to the appropriate ministers for response pursuant to standing order 100, the petition was received. Motion to take note of petition MADAM SPEAKER: Pursuant to standing order 98A, I propose the question: That the petition so lodged be noted. MS ORR (Yerrabi) (10.02): I rise to speak to a petition which I have sponsored on behalf of Paul Calvert and the Giralang community. This year will mark the 16th year that the Giralang community has been without shops in their suburb. When I was growing up in Giralang, the shops near the school included a hairdresser, a Vietnamese restaurant, a baker, a newsagency, a supermarket, a tavern, a VHS video store and a fish and chip shop. It was a great little community hub within walking distance of every residence in the suburb. Since the shops were vacated by those tenants, they have sat bare, been demolished and currently sit in a state of initial but not completed build. This is after years of court cases, stop-starts on the building, and the promise in 2018 of an approved DA for a new development. This could once again be a great community hub and a convenient facility for the community. This is particularly important, as many of the residents of Giralang are getting older but want to be able to age in place. Since this petition started, we have heard from what feels like all of Giralang, and they are unanimous that they want something to happen. The community has not had an update from the developer in close to a year, and in that update the developer noted he could not secure a supermarket, the deposits for the apartments would be handed back and a rethink of the development would have to happen. Since then no further update has come to the community, despite being requested many times. The community just wants to know what is happening, which is why 585 residents and supporters have signed this physical petition and 321 have signed online, making a total of 906 signatures, which is a number equal to almost a third of Giralang residents, and almost every household. I note that almost every signature is from a Giralang resident, with a few family members who grew up there having been put in for good measure. I want to thank Paul for putting together this petition, and everyone who has signed it. I would like particularly to acknowledge the residents who got their neighbours and friends to sign. I ask that whichever committee to which this petition is referred inquire into the issue and ask the questions that the Giralang community wants answers to. MS CASTLEY (Yerrabi) (10.04): I thank Ms Orr for kicking off this petition. As a former resident of Giralang, I completely understand the frustrations of the community, and would welcome any help in this area to get the site cleaned up and restore some order in the area. 344 Legislative Assembly for the ACT 10 February 2021 MR BRADDOCK (Yerrabi) (10.05): I also thank Ms Orr for bringing this petition to the notice of the Assembly. Giralang, as Ms Orr mentioned, has gone without shops for 16 years—a vital centre of community activity. The ability to simply go and pick up a carton of milk is also what is required. I look forward to working with all of the parties in this chamber to see whether we can resolve this issue. Question resolved in the affirmative. Housing—strategy Ministerial statement MS BERRY (Ginninderra—Deputy Chief Minister, Minister for Early Childhood Development, Minister for Education