Released 22/07/2020
Canberra’s public spaces and recreation areas will be upgraded as the Government today outlined further details of its second stimulus package.
“This broad package of work is designed to improve Canberra’s public spaces, but also to create employment when our city really needs it,” Minister for City Services Chris Steel said.
“The Government will invest $8.8 million to improve the look and feel of the city with refresh works to local shopping centres and the city centre, new public toilets and increased maintenance activities such as weeding.
“This is labour intensive work in construction and maintenance which will support more jobs and help to keep Canberrans in employment as the economic impact of the pandemic continues.”
Shops in Gordon, Hackett, Kaleen East, Macgregor, Macquarie, North Lyneham, Page, Weetangera, the two local shops in Spence and two local shops in Kambah will be refreshed.
“Refresh works will be undertaken at a number of local shopping centre precincts across the ACT to improve safety and access and provide improved seating, landscaping and other facilities that encourage people to spend more time enjoying these public spaces,” Minister Steel said.
“City Walk in Civic is a major public space that is important for everyone in Canberra. This space will be transformed with gardens and lawn areas between Garema Place and Ainslie Place.”
“The City Walk upgrades have been designed to create new comfortable and attractive places to stop, sit, play and spend time in the heart of Civic. They include the installation of more than 3000 new plants including 14 new replacement trees, 630 square metres of lawn areas, new paving, better lighting and new furniture through the central section of City Walk.
“A feasibility study will also be prepared for an upgrade of the Kippax group centre which will focus on responding to community feedback received in the development of the Kippax Group Centre Master Plan.
“The study will consider opportunities for creating a community hub and central plaza area for the centre with active meeting places, a reconfigured car park layout and improved pedestrian and cyclist connections to and within the centre.
“Also in the Belconnen region, the public toilets at John Knight Memorial Park will be replaced with a new public toilet facility. The new facility will be better positioned to use natural light and ventilation and will include modern facilities that use less water.
“A new toilet will also be constructed at Lake Tuggeranong to support recreation around the whole lake and supporting surrounding facilities.”
Minister Steel said the stimulus package also provides additional funding for maintenance works including more weeding, an enhanced cleaning program for our gross pollutant traps and asphalt patching ahead of the 2020-21 road resurfacing program.
“Six new staff will be employed to increase weeding at locations such as along arterial roads including road median barriers and near bollards and signs,” Minister Steel said.
“An additional program will also commence to remove fallen leaves by hand from hard to reach areas such as along road median barriers which cannot be removed using street sweepers.
“Increased efforts to remove leaf litter and additional cleaning of gross pollutant traps which are the first water pollution control point in the stormwater network will improve the water quality of our lakes and ponds.”
For more information on the ACT Government’s fast-track program, visit www.act.gov.au/fasttrack
- Statement ends -
Chris Steel, MLA | Media Releases