ACT sporting infrastructure petitions helpful for both politicians and frustrated voters

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Nearly one third of petitions tabled in the ACT Legislative Assembly this year called for improvements to sporting and recreation infrastructure. Though there is no obligation to resolve every petitioner’s issue, they can be helpful for both politicians and Canberrans calling for change.

Transcript

00:02The quality of sporting infrastructure in Canberra is a mixed picture.

00:07There's some facilities at the top end, new builds that have won awards for architectural

00:13design, green, those sorts of things and then we've got some at the other end of the spectrum.

00:17The ACT faces particular challenges as a small jurisdiction.

00:22In conversations with my colleagues we're probably towards the bottom end in terms of

00:27some of our facilities but again we're really aware that it's a tight fiscal environment.

00:33Active petitions include requests to fix the Hawker Tennis Centre and keep the Kayleen Indoor Sports Centre open.

00:40With concerns local facilities are disappearing, independent MLA Fiona Carrick, who sponsored

00:45a petition calling for a new outdoor pool for Woden, says it's helped push the government to respond.

00:51We've got a commitment for a new 50 metre pool in Woden and people are acknowledging it

00:55and people are really pleased that there has been some action to listen to the people.

01:01Academics say petitions are particularly useful for politicians like Ms Carrick.

01:06Say if you're an independent or a backbench MLA in the ACT, having a petition behind a cause

01:12can really help to quantify just the strength of feeling on that issue.

01:16Petitions may also appeal to frustrated voters.

01:19When you have a government that's been in power as long as this ACT, Labor government,

01:24I think there is a sense, rightly or wrongly, that they've stopped listening.

01:27And so for a lot of residents who are concerned about infrastructure needs,

01:33petitioning the government I think feels probably more effective than voting.

01:36A tool for raising issues and pushing for solutions.

01:39of building and being a person is the right of building and being a person who's a player in

01:40So, that's how we've got your own decisions.

01:40We've got your own decisions.

01:42This is a way to do this.

01:42But then we've got our ability to paint your hands and balance your hands.

01:42I've got my own decisions.

01:42I'll be looking at a place where we're going with a distance.

01:42You can to do that.

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