Released 23/05/2018
Planning Canberra’s future city services will be placed in the hands of 65 members of the community and community organisations in the next stage of consultation for the Better Suburbs program, which will include a community budgeting intimate event to include playgrounds.
Better Suburbs is a consultation program aimed at setting the vision and priorities for the improved delivery of city services in the ACT for the next four years and beyond, in the form of a Better Suburbs Statement.
The first stage of consultation, held in late 2017, was released today shedding light on what the Canberra community wants when it comes to our city’s services.
“The first stage of the Better Suburbs program highlights the services and aspects of our city that are most important to our community, including access to shopping precincts, access to parks, safe and connected footpaths, maintained trees and shrubs, and maintained and connected roads,” said Minister for Transport and City Services Meegan Fitzharris.
“The next phase of consultation will ask 40 members of the community, who represent Canberra’s demographic profile, and another 25 from community organisations to take part in a Citizens’ Forum during July and August. During this process they will speak to government, industry and non-government representatives about how we can plan for the right mix of city services for Canberra into the future.”
Minister Fitzharris said the Citizens’ Forum will also be asked how funding for playground improvements should be utilised.
“Playgrounds are a recognised priority in the Better Suburbs program. They were listed by the community as a top five feature, with the quality of playgrounds valued more than how many there are in each suburb.
“Playing and having fun is important for all children, and with over 500 playgrounds across Canberra competing for investment, I’m keen to work with the Citizens’ Forum on a new approach to playground investment that more closely involves the community in the process.
“Therefore I will ask the Better Suburbs Citizen’s Forum to directly allocate $1.9 million set aside in this year’s Budget for local community upgrades, $1 million of which must be spent on playgrounds.
“Work will then start on their defined projects straight after the Better Suburbs Statement is released in September 2018,” said Minister Fitzharris.
Minister Fitzharris said there will also be an opportunity for other members of the community to get involved in ‘kitchen table conversations’ with a Better Suburbs Guide that families, community groups and other stakeholders will be able to download and use to discuss the delivery of city services, and help the Citizens’ Forum make decisions.
The kitchen table guide will be made available in June ahead of a Citizen’s Forum to be held in July and August. Invitations will be sent to 4,000 households in coming weeks, inviting people to take part in the Citizens’ Forum. The Citizens’ Forum will be a deliberative democracy process run by democracyCo, and participants will receive $250 for their participation.
A report on the results from the first stage of the Better Suburbs consultation is now available on the Your Say website at www.yoursay.act.gov.au/bettersuburbs.
- Statement ends -
Meegan Fitzharris, MLA | Media Releases
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