No. 6 
Investment in community places 
to support jobs

The ACT Labor Government will invest in improving the urban amenity of suburbs, shopping centres and parks to support local jobs and maintain the quality of the Territory’s community places, Chief Minister and Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Jon Stanhope, announced today.

“Despite the challenging economic times, the ACT Labor Government will continue our responsible investments in maintaining the urban amenity of suburbs, shopping centres and parks,” Mr Stanhope said. 

“By investing in local projects we can support jobs and maintain our high‐quality public facilities and outdoor spaces.  

“East and West rows in the City Centre will receive a much-needed facelift through a $12 million Civic refurbishment package. This targeted investment will encourage more visitors, tourists and trade in the City Centre, which in turn will boost business activity and help to protect jobs. 

“We will invest in priority upgrades to Red Hill and Lyons shopping centres. The Budget provides $8 million for new paving, lighting, street furniture, pedestrian crossings and landscape upgrades. 

“To maintain the urban amenity of our streets and parks, we are providing for the staged replacement of the Urban Forest, including the removal of dead and drought-affected trees at a cost of $19.170 million over four years. We will immediately remove 3,500 trees assessed as being a potential risk to people and property and commence a staged replacement of 20,000 dead or dying trees over the next four years. Canberra’s trees are a valuable community asset and we are committed to maintaining our urban forest for future generations to enjoy.

“The Budget funds the re-establishment of an inner-south library – an initiative in the ACT Labor and Greens Parliamentary Agreement. To be located in Kingston, the library will include a quiet reading space and offer internet access and community programs such as children’s story time. The ACT’s public library collections will also be updated at a cost of $2.6 million over four years to meet nationally recognised benchmarks.

“To continue to preserve the Territory’s Bush Capital status we will invest $950,000 towards boundary fencing to protect three new reserves - Kama, Kinleyside, and East Jerrabomberra - and six existing reserves - Majura, Ainslie, Aranda, Red Hill, Mt Taylor, Tuggeranong Hill, as well as additional facilities at Tidbinbilla. Funding is also provided for an additional 200,000 plants in the Lower Cotter over the next 4 years at a cost of $830,000,” Mr Stanhope said. 

Other highlights in the Budget include:
•	$16.3 million over four years for cycling, signage and footpaths, including $9.2 million for new cycling paths, signage and footpaths and $6.4 million for the maintenance of cycling paths and footpaths ;
•	$6 million over four years for upgrades to town and district parks;  
•	$3.323 million over four years to boost recycling facilities at the Mugga Lane Resource Management Centre;  
•	$746,000 for ranger-led educational programs and land management activities at Tidbinbilla, Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve and Mulligans Flat Predator Free Sanctuary;
•	$200,000 to restore Hobday’s Cottage and the Historic English Gardens in Weston Park and $200,000 for a study into the re-use of the historic Fitters Workshop located within the Kingston Foreshore Precinct; and 
•	$770,000 over four years to implement the Kangaroo Management Plan and $150,000 for the feral rabbit control program.

Several of these initiatives fulfil commitments made in the Labor-Greens Parliamentary Agreement.

5 May 2009
Media Contact: 	Jess Wurf 	6205 0504(w)   0411 772 700(m)