Page 2786 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 6 October 2021
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those in the project, and the commonwealth has fronted up to fund it. At the time, in 2019, the business case was developed in order to inform government decision-making. It was developed in 2019 and a lot has changed since then in relation to the project. Those requirements are now known, and they have been paid for.
MR PARTON: Minister, what have you got to hide regarding the full costs of stage 2A of the light rail project?
MR STEEL: Nothing. We have shown an unparalleled level of transparency in relation to this project. We published the business case for stage 2 of the light rail. For other light rial projects around the country, governments have not published their business cases. We did that because we wanted to show that level of transparency, and we provided it to the Auditor General in order for them to undertake their performance audit of the business case. We have shown an unparalleled level of transparency, but we also want to achieve value for money for the project. As we continue to undertake our procurement process for the project, we want to make sure that, as part of that process, we achieve value for money. When we can make the final cost available, once that process has concluded, we will.
Light rail—stage 2 economic analysis
MRS JONES: My question is to the Minister for Transport and City Services and refers to the Auditor-General’s report. The report provides a lengthy catalogue of omissions, methodology failures and seemingly arbitrary assumptions to create the appearance of a robust business case. There were “costs that were excluded” and a “lack of documented methodology and process for the quality assurance of the cost-benefit analysis”. Minister, how will you assure Canberrans that they are getting value for money from the hundreds of millions of dollars being spent on light rail stage 2A?
MR STEEL: Because we have seen it on stage 1, Madam Speaker. We have delivered stage 1 of light rail, which has now shown itself to have provided greater public transport benefits and greater city shaping and land use benefits, and it was delivered underbudget. We did it very successfully. It has been seen to be a huge success. We are committed to taking this project to Woden. Of course, the first step to do that is to take it to Commonwealth Park. That is why the business case and the Auditor-General’s report have focused on Commonwealth Park. It has to go via Commonwealth Park. Our ambition is to take it to Woden, and it does not sound like the Liberals are committed to that objective.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mrs Jones.
MRS JONES: Minister, when will you give the Assembly and Canberrans a proper and comprehensive business case that shows the true picture of costs and actual benefits, rather than discussing our views?
MR STEEL: I thank the member for the question. We will be comprehensively responding to the Auditor-General’s report within the necessary time frame. We are
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