Transport Canberra and City Services (TCCS) has released a formal statement setting out a community-based vision for the city up until 2030.
The Better Suburbs Statement was welcomed by the Minister for City Services, Chris Steel, who said it would be a blueprint for the development of Canberra’s suburbs which local residents could be proud of.
Mr Steel said the Canberra community wanted a city that was attractive, well maintained and safe and the new Statement would deliver that.
“We know our rapid growth as a city means we need coordinated and efficient city services to achieve as much as possible within existing resources,” Mr Steel said.
“A green and vibrant city in 2030 needs a renewed focus on delivering services for citizens that will enhance their experiences and sense of place.”
He said the Statement included service priorities for the next four years.
“The Statement identifies three priority areas where services and aspects of our city are most important to our community,” Mr Steel said.
He said these included the city’s lakes, ponds, wetlands, stormwater and water quality; its street and park trees; and its household waste and recycling.
“What makes this Statement so important is that every stage of its development has been informed or driven by the community,” the Minister said.
He said community engagement started in September 2017 with the process attracting over 1,200 responses to a survey, a Kitchen Table discussion program and a Citizens’ Forum.
“The Better Suburbs Statement itself was written by the 54 participants of our Citizens Forum,” Mr Steel said.
He said Statement wasn’t just a map of priorities but was vision for making the most of the interconnected and integrated networks that can bring suburbs to life.
“We will continue to partner with the community to implement the recommendations in this statement,” he said.
The Better Suburbs Statement can be accessed on the YourSay website at this PS News link.
