Ms SACILOTTO - 2007-05-03
Could you please inform the Assembly about the initiatives relating to Creating Darwin’s Future in this year’s budget?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Port Darwin. Anything about the future of Darwin is, of course, a central issue for the member for Port Darwin, as it is for all of us here, whichever electorate we represent. Creating Darwin’s Future, which was launched last year, contains 93 separate proposals for the future development of Darwin. The aim of Creating Darwin’s Future was to build on work already under way, and to create an even better tropical city. We have heard from the community. We have had a working group taking account of the feedback and it is now developing action plans to progress those priority initiatives which came from the forums that were already in place, over the next five to 10 years ...
Mr Mills: What is your vision?
Ms MARTIN: It is interesting that the member for Blain is not interested. Last week’s Urban Planning Forum was about action, real outcomes and keeping things moving ahead. The action plan from the forum will cover the way future developments in the CBD will be undertaken in important areas that have been subject of a lot of debate, and I am sure will continue to be subject to a lot of debate – areas such as building design, streetscapes and open spaces. In the meantime, we are moving ahead with some key initiatives that have received strong community support.
In this year’s budget, funds have been allocated to four key initiatives, so we are already under way; action is taking place. $6m has been set aside for the Myilly Point redevelopment, including Flagstaff Park. This will turn what is a valuable piece of open space into parkland and will contribute to something that came up clearly in the forums that we held: that people want a substantial amount of green space around our city. $1m is committed to urban road landscaping; that will establish some landscapes and aesthetically pleasing entry points to the CBD. You would have to say, Madam Speaker, that we have some particularly ugly entry points into the CBD. We are going to fix that.
There is much community support for a pedestrian way to connect the waterfront to the CBD, and for the creation of a space that celebrates our heritage and our identity in the city. We have committed $250 000 to engage stakeholders. We have started this process to further engage stakeholders and scope what could be a museum of Darwin, or specifically a World War II museum in the CBD. There is also a further $250 000 to develop a master plan for the State Square Precinct. They are two important initiatives and they are funded in this budget. They are widely supported. More discussion and engagement with the community will take place. It means that it is not a talkfest creating Darwin’s future, it is an action plan, and we have made a very positive start in this budget.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Port Darwin. Anything about the future of Darwin is, of course, a central issue for the member for Port Darwin, as it is for all of us here, whichever electorate we represent. Creating Darwin’s Future, which was launched last year, contains 93 separate proposals for the future development of Darwin. The aim of Creating Darwin’s Future was to build on work already under way, and to create an even better tropical city. We have heard from the community. We have had a working group taking account of the feedback and it is now developing action plans to progress those priority initiatives which came from the forums that were already in place, over the next five to 10 years ...
Mr Mills: What is your vision?
Ms MARTIN: It is interesting that the member for Blain is not interested. Last week’s Urban Planning Forum was about action, real outcomes and keeping things moving ahead. The action plan from the forum will cover the way future developments in the CBD will be undertaken in important areas that have been subject of a lot of debate, and I am sure will continue to be subject to a lot of debate – areas such as building design, streetscapes and open spaces. In the meantime, we are moving ahead with some key initiatives that have received strong community support.
In this year’s budget, funds have been allocated to four key initiatives, so we are already under way; action is taking place. $6m has been set aside for the Myilly Point redevelopment, including Flagstaff Park. This will turn what is a valuable piece of open space into parkland and will contribute to something that came up clearly in the forums that we held: that people want a substantial amount of green space around our city. $1m is committed to urban road landscaping; that will establish some landscapes and aesthetically pleasing entry points to the CBD. You would have to say, Madam Speaker, that we have some particularly ugly entry points into the CBD. We are going to fix that.
There is much community support for a pedestrian way to connect the waterfront to the CBD, and for the creation of a space that celebrates our heritage and our identity in the city. We have committed $250 000 to engage stakeholders. We have started this process to further engage stakeholders and scope what could be a museum of Darwin, or specifically a World War II museum in the CBD. There is also a further $250 000 to develop a master plan for the State Square Precinct. They are two important initiatives and they are funded in this budget. They are widely supported. More discussion and engagement with the community will take place. It means that it is not a talkfest creating Darwin’s future, it is an action plan, and we have made a very positive start in this budget.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016