International recognition of Canberra no surprise

Woden Valley Community Council said :

The Chief Minister says ‘This city is the best place in the world to live, and it has been recognised now as one of the best places in the world to visit’.

Does this city include the town centres?

According to the Woden Town Centre Master Plan we are getting 24 storey ‘marker buildings’ so tourists know when they have arrived in Woden and they can orient themselves around. I fact Geocon is putting 800 apartments on 1.1 hectare so tourists will definitely know when they have arrived in Woden.

They will see our derelict buildings, the graffiti hot spot and the general lack of planning and care for the Town Centre. What if they stay, what will they do in the evening with the lack of after hours activity. Obviously Lonely Planet did not feel a need to see our ‘marker buildings’.

If we don’t want tourists to come to Woden, why are we having high rise ‘marker buildings’?

Why would tourists want to go to Woden in the first place?

Riot act responders are 100% correct to highlight these issues for canberra residents and particularly residents outside Mr Barr’s focus on his own inner north electorate.

Woden and Tuggeranong town centres are increasingly seeing closed shops and run down infrastructure.
And as mentioned, homelessness is a huge issue and the case of Kambah being found by Digital Finance Analytics to be the most Mortgage Stressed area in Australia should be a wake up call for the ACT government.

But unfortunately, Mr Barr will focus his efforts on popular adventures not helping the working poor in the outer suburbs.

The Chief Minister says ‘This city is the best place in the world to live, and it has been recognised now as one of the best places in the world to visit’.

Does this city include the town centres?

According to the Woden Town Centre Master Plan we are getting 24 storey ‘marker buildings’ so tourists know when they have arrived in Woden and they can orient themselves around. I fact Geocon is putting 800 apartments on 1.1 hectare so tourists will definitely know when they have arrived in Woden.

They will see our derelict buildings, the graffiti hot spot and the general lack of planning and care for the Town Centre. What if they stay, what will they do in the evening with the lack of after hours activity. Obviously Lonely Planet did not feel a need to see our ‘marker buildings’.

If we don’t want tourists to come to Woden, why are we having high rise ‘marker buildings’?

Phil on Mort said :

If we’re as smart and wealthy as we always appear in these polls, we should be the city that works out how to solve homelessness, because it’s the right thing to do.

Homelessness Australia [http://www.homelessnessaustralia.org.au/about/homelessness-statistics] states that since 2006 homelessness in Canberra has risen 70.6%, putting the numbers at 50 per 10,000 people being homeless in the ACT, current total at 1,785. So think about it, if that rate keeps rising as it has been, 10,000 homeless people here in Canberra isn’t really that far away.

If we let that happen, whoever is running Canberra at the time is going to look back at this period and lay the blame directly on the governance of this era, a government that let this problem slide until it was out of control.

Whatever is being done about homelessness in Canberra obviously isn’t enough and hasn’t been for a long time. With the growing numbers, pristine isn’t a word to be used about Canberra anymore, we don’t deserve it.

If you want to leave a real legacy Chief Minister do that, eliminate homelessness in Canberra, that would make it a truly great city and give it worldwide recognition for something worthy. Being lauded as the first major western city to eliminate homelessness would be far cooler than coming third in a backpackers guide.

When the novelty of the not-needed tram wears off (give it 6 months) and commuters go back to their cars and busses where they can find them, Transport Canberra will have lots of idle trams which could be converted into bunks for the homeless and parked along the route. It’s been done elsewhere in the world and considered in Melbourne using old railway sleeper carriages. http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/train-sleeper-carriages-just-the-ticket-for-melbournes-homeless-crisis-20161012-gs0o6w.html

If we’re as smart and wealthy as we always appear in these polls, we should be the city that works out how to solve homelessness, because it’s the right thing to do.

Homelessness Australia [http://www.homelessnessaustralia.org.au/about/homelessness-statistics] states that since 2006 homelessness in Canberra has risen 70.6%, putting the numbers at 50 per 10,000 people being homeless in the ACT, current total at 1,785. So think about it, if that rate keeps rising as it has been, 10,000 homeless people here in Canberra isn’t really that far away.

If we let that happen, whoever is running Canberra at the time is going to look back at this period and lay the blame directly on the governance of this era, a government that let this problem slide until it was out of control.

Whatever is being done about homelessness in Canberra obviously isn’t enough and hasn’t been for a long time. With the growing numbers, pristine isn’t a word to be used about Canberra anymore, we don’t deserve it.

If you want to leave a real legacy Chief Minister do that, eliminate homelessness in Canberra, that would make it a truly great city and give it worldwide recognition for something worthy. Being lauded as the first major western city to eliminate homelessness would be far cooler than coming third in a backpackers guide.

What a piece of self-serving puffery! While agree with some of the statements made by the OP, I feel they would have more impact if they were made by someone who didn’t have a political, or financial, interest in making them.

And at least one sentence give the lie to anyone who says Canberra isn’t a public service town!

So, with all this wealth generation from increased tourism and subsidised sporting events when are we going to see rate reductions and a general reduction in municipal taxes.
And while you are at it when is the Territory’s budget going to be in the black and the unfunded superannuation liability paid out?
When was the last time you had to use the ACT public hospital system, Mr Barr?

PS: You may call me a cynic but I will always support my version of “insular, small country town” Canberra which differs vastly from your obsession to get us international recognition and whatever vague benefit that gives us.