Released 18/10/2021
The ACT Government has today released the 2021-22 Better Suburbs Progress Update, detailing all the progress being made in delivering better city services and public facilities in line with the priorities of the Canberra community.
“A few years ago we brought together a diverse group of Canberrans for the Better Suburbs Citizens’ Forum, a deliberative democracy process to help inform decisions about how we can improve our suburbs and regions,” said Minister for Transport and City Services Chris Steel.
“Through this process we worked with Canberrans to understand the community’s priorities for city services and where the ACT Government should be focusing our investments. Since the Citizens’ Forum provided its advice to government, we have been progressively adapting our approach to align with this feedback about what our community values.
“We are working to deliver a green and vibrant city that is inclusive, diverse, clean, healthy and fosters community pride. The 2021-22 Better Suburbs Progress Update shows how we are investing to achieve this today and in the years to come.”
The progress update highlights significant new government investments through the 2021-22 ACT Budget, including:
- Planting 54,000 more trees to improve the amenity of Canberra’s streets, parks and green spaces
- Improving active travel connections with new shared path projects in Tuggeranong, Belconnen, Molonglo and the Inner North as well as a boost to path maintenance across the city
- Piloting a Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) service in Belconnen to inform the design of future citywide household FOGO services
- Upgrading 11 local shopping centres to revitalise precincts and encourage Canberrans to shop locally and support businesses who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
- Delivering two new dog parks at Franklin and Lanyon, while upgrading other facilities
- Upgrading play spaces at Kaleen, Ngunnawal, Chisholm, Gordon, Lyons and Aranda.
The Progress Report also provides an update on works and investments made against the community’s 14 priority areas since the previous Better Suburbs report was published in 2019.
During this time the ACT Government has invested significantly in local ‘screwdriver ready’ projects to help boost our local economy and keep Canberrans working through COVID. This has included undertaking upgrades at 10 local shops across Canberra, refreshing dozens of local play spaces, and fixing missing footpath links to make it easier for Canberrans to move around in their suburbs.
“The 2021-22 Better Suburbs Progress Update shows the Citizens’ Forum is making an ongoing difference in shaping how we invest in services for our city. I encourage all Canberrans to take a look to find out what’s happening in your local region,” said Minister Steel.
To view the latest Better Suburbs Progress Update visit: www.cityservices.act.gov.au/bettersuburbs
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Chris Steel, MLA | Media Releases