Lighting upgrades along streets and Lake Tuggeranong will be funded as part of $15 million committed to the area over four years. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
Community-level infrastructure are the targets of $15 million in the upcoming budget set aside just for Tuggeranong projects.
The money will be invested across four years to deliver community infrastructure priorities which Chief Minister Andrew Barr said consistently came up during discussions with the public.
“There were missing links in footpath connections, there were opportunities to put in lighting that would make areas more useable in sports infrastructure, for example, opportunities to provide new spectator amenity, to improve change rooms and to make our local community facilities better in Tuggeranong,” he said.
“That’s what this is about.”
The initiatives for Tuggeranong include more than $5 million over four years to improve and connect footpaths, along with lighting upgrades to improve safety and visibility.
Brindabella MLA Caitlin Tough said safety was a key factor in these decisions.
“It’s making sure people feel safe to exercise at night, whether that’s walking [or running] to and from the shops, whether it’s running around the lake, those activities that when … it’s a bit darker, people just feel a bit more like they don’t want to go out,” she said.
“It’s making sure people are more confident with that lighting and safety improvements, just general open spaces and visibility around the place.”
The Erindale Group Centre will be upgraded, focussed on better accessibility, safety and public amenity.
Renewed playgrounds will be coming to Bonython, Conder, Gilmore, Isabella Plains, Kambah and Wanniassa.
“A lot of our playgrounds have been here since the suburbs were created, and they work, they’re great. But they’re just a bit tired and could do with just some new things, new exciting swing sets and things like that for our kids,” Ms Tough said.
The Greenway Lakeside Leisure Centre will be expanded for community use, new portable tiered seating’s on the cards for Gordon Oval, and Gowrie will get new cricket nets.
Calwell and Chisholm’s changerooms will be upgraded to become female friendly.
More safety improvements will occur at Tuggeranong Skate Park, but the money will also go to planning work for a future full upgrade of the facility.
Similar pools of money are expected for each Canberra region in the upcoming budget.
“Each region will have a local package in the budget that is in that order [about $15 million.] Some of the smaller regions that have fewer people than Tuggeranong would have an amount less than that,” Mr Barr said.
This doesn’t include major infrastructure projects such as transport and health for the regions.
Mr Barr defended the suggestion such improvements shouldn’t be funded given the pressure facing the budget bottom line.
“We need to invest in a variety of different areas of community infrastructure and community services,” he said.
“The budget position is challenging, it is challenging for every state and territory, perhaps with the exception of Western Australia – that’s another topic for another day.”
The projects will take some time to get off the ground. The budget will be presented in less than two weeks and passed into law (with the potential for some changes) in September.
Once that’s happened, government agencies can begin official processes.
“Obviously they’re in the background preparing necessary tender documents and the like, but you do need the legal authority to spend the money that comes from the parliament in September,” Mr Barr said.
“Then the projects are to commence in the coming fiscal year. But some, because of the scale of them, will continue over more than one fiscal year in their delivery.”
