Page 1889 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 22 June 2021
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Pre-empting the proposed amendments to Mr Pettersson’s motion by Mr Parton, I can say that the government will not be supporting his amendments, because Mr Pettersson’s motion already comprehensively calls for expansion into other areas of Canberra, although he has specifically mentioned Gungahlin and Mitchell. It already covers off on that. I do not think Mr Parton’s amendments to expressly mention Woden and Tuggeranong affect that. There is the old legal maxim expressio unius: the express mention of one thing is at the exclusion of another. There are many other districts in Canberra that have not been expressly mentioned in the amendment. The capture-all part of Mr Pettersson’s motion covers that off well.
As I have mentioned, the review is having a very significant focus on safety. In fact, that is its primary focus. There is no need to undertake another review or get the reviewer to stop what they are doing in finalising their review and undertaking another review. We have got that underway; it is being finalised at the moment. We do not think it is necessary to support Mr Parton’s amendments, even if the general thrust is in alignment with where we are already heading under the commitments that we have made under the review and looking at the expansion.
I thank Mr Pettersson for moving the motion and providing the opportunity to speak on this important issue. The e-scooter share scheme has been very well supported in the ACT community. There have been some safety issues. I look forward to finalising the review and updating the Assembly on the next steps for shared micro-mobility schemes in Canberra.
MS CLAY (Ginninderra) (4.16): The ACT Greens will be supporting Mr Pettersson’s motion to encourage the expansion of e-scooter share schemes right across the ACT. E-scooter share schemes are an excellent way for people to get around Canberra. The residents of the inner north, inner south and, in my electorate, Belconnen town centre have embraced these schemes. They are a great option for moving around our growing city.
We know that getting people out of cars and onto active and public transport is essential for fixing congestion, curbing our carbon emissions, and improving the liveability of our cities. Multi-mode trips and providing options for that last kilometre are an essential part of this. E-scooter sharing is an excellent way for people who might ordinarily drive to try a new option and use a much lower impact method of transport. I know many people who have tried e-scooter share schemes and have since decided to purchase an e-scooter. That is a great adoption of non-car travel options.
An expanded e-scooter share scheme is an opportunity to allow those in other parts of Canberra to ditch the car and reduce traffic and parking pressure in our increasingly busy town centres. I will be pleased to see that expanded to all group centres all around Canberra. I am pleased that this motion names a couple, but, as has been noted, we will be looking at every group centre around Canberra that would like to have the e-scooter share scheme. The expansion of e-scooters and active travel to our town and group centres fits really well with the ACT government’s slower speeds and our expanded 40 kilometre an hour zones in built-up urban areas.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video