Ginninderra News - July 2005

Budget News!

Belconnen’s own Community Arts and Cultural Centre

Belconnen will get its own Community Arts and Cultural Centre thanks to funding from the ACT Government.

The Community Arts Centre has received a further boost in this year’s Budget, with the allocation of $1m for the provision of artworks and $500,000 for the completion of a final design for the Belconnen Arts and Cultural Centre.

The Government and the Belconnen Arts and Cultural Community Advisory Group have worked together to ensure the success of the project.

Preliminary planning has explored such potential inclusions as a 200-250 seat theatre, workshops, a dance studio, a gallery space, meeting and administration rooms, a café and multi-use spaces.

The design will also extend to landscaping of the nearby Lake Ginninderra shore, to connect the centre to its lakeside location and to better allow for activities to flow from the centre to the outdoors. Funding for the Centre follows on from recently announced funding that will allow Belconnen Community Services to employ a full-time community cultural development worker to develop cultural activity in the region while the new centre is being planned and constructed.

Other Budget initiatives include:

• A Canteen for the Latham Oval.
• $9.8m for capital upgrades including $700,000 for stage 2 of Belconnen Library; $800,000 for Belconnen Lakeshore redevelopment and tree inspection and maintenance.
• Almost $8m over four years to increase the provision of preschool education for eligible four year olds in the ACT from 10.5 hours to 12 hours per week.
• Extended hours, currently being trialled in selected preschools across the ACT, will be extended to all preschools in 2006. Flynn preschool is participating in the Preschool Primary Links 2005 trial, which strengthens early childhood education by making the transition from pre to primary school smoother.
• $8 million for school building refurbishment/renovation, in addition to $11.1m in capital upgrades.
• $13.1m to support children and young people in care.
• Health’s Budget includes general budget measures for hospitals, after hours GP clinics, dental waiting lists, elective surgery and waiting lists, nurse skills upgrade program and new beds.