Page 1272 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 11 May 2021
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Planning—active transport
MR BRADDOCK: My question is to the minister for transport. The Gungahlin town centre is surrounded by a number of busy roads. What does the government plan to do to ensure that people are able to walk or cycle safely into the Gungahlin town centre?
MR STEEL: I thank Mr Braddock for his question. The ACT government understands the importance of active travel and investing in public transport as well as being important to creating a vibrant, sustainable and connected city. That is one of the reasons we have set out in our transport strategy the objective of shifting the balance of investment towards active travel and public transport. This is particularly important in areas that are growing, like Gungahlin. It is one of the reasons why at the election Labor committed to undertake a feasibility study to look at improved active travel links in the Gungahlin town centre connecting the town centre with the surrounding suburbs of the Gungahlin region.
We have also undertaken to develop a mesascopic model, which is a complex traffic model which will look at traffic movements not only for road transport but also for active travel to help inform future improvements. The government has also been investing in infrastructure improvements in Gungahlin. That has, of course, included the new Flemington Road shared path connections, making sure there are good connections between active travel and public transport. We look forward to undertaking further investment in Gungahlin following the detailed work we have committed to do.
MR BRADDOCK: Thank you, minister; but what about the active travel links between the Gungahlin town centre and Yerrabi Ponds, a source of great recreational value to the local community?
MR STEEL: I thank Mr Braddock for his supplementary. That connection was identified following the Gungahlin town centre planning refresh and will act as an input amongst many other active travel links that will need to be considered as part of the feasibility study that Labor committed to at the election to undertake to provide better connections between the Gungahlin town centre and, as I mentioned, other parts of Gungahlin, including places of interest like Yerrabi Ponds. That will be the first stage of considering the needs in Gungahlin. We will do so in consultation with the community before we move in and consider what investments we need to make and what the priorities are for the Gungahlin community. I am looking forward to visiting Gungahlin Community Council tomorrow night to have that discussion.
MR PARTON: Minister, why is it that this government continually talks the big talk on active travel but time and time again cannot actually walk the walk of active travel?
MR STEEL: That question absolutely had no substance at all—like, literally no point. It was classic shock jock—no substance whatsoever; just a line. It is impossible for me to respond to something with no substance. We continue to invest in active travel. We have made a massive investment of over $9 million over the past year as
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