Planning for future Government services is to be placed in the hands of a Citizens Forum in the next stage of the Transport Canberra and City Services Directorate’s Better Suburbs program.
Minister for Transport and City Services, Meegan Fitzharris has announced that a forum of 65 members of the community and community organisations is to be appointed to meet in July and August to set the vision and priorities for improved city services in the ACT for the next four years.
Ms Fitzharris said 40 members of the community representing Canberra’s demographic profile and another 25 from community organisations would make up the Forum.
“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,” Ms Fitzharris said.
She said the Forum would build on the first stage of consultation which was held last year to shed light on the Canberra community’s preferences for its city services, the findings of which were released this week.
“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,” Ms Fitzharris said.
She said the Citizens’ Forum would also be asked to decide on funding for playground improvements.
The Minister said invitations to participate in the Citizens Forum would be sent to 4,000 households in the coming weeks with participants to receive $250 for taking part.
The 36-page report on stage one of the Better Suburbs consultation can be accessed at this PS News link.
