Page 4069 - Week 13 - Thursday, 2 December 2021
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Transport—active travel
MR PETTERSSON: My question is to the Minister for Transport and City Services. Minister, how is the ACT government investing in active travel infrastructure across Canberra?
MR STEEL: I thank Mr Pettersson for his question. Active travel is a key part of our transport plan to make Canberra a more liveable and sustainable city. I am very pleased to say that this year’s budget includes a major new investment in active travel infrastructure across Canberra. We are investing more than $45 million in new active travel initiatives and that builds our current pipeline of walking and cycling infrastructure over the forward estimates to more than $77 million.
The investments in this year’s budget include funding for brand new infrastructure like the Sulwood Drive path, as well as improvements to our existing network. We are investing $4 million in path maintenance over the next four years following the competition of a territory-wide path audit undertaken by our hardworking Jobs for Canberrans staff over the last 12 months. We are also expanding the successful Age Friendly Suburbs Program to more suburbs to deliver accessibility improvements and safety upgrades to paths and crossings in suburbs like Chifley, Reid, Scullin and O’Connor.
The significant increase in active travel investment in this year’s budget will ensure that Canberrans have more options to walk and cycle around our city, encouraging people to take up active travel. This will make it easier for people to take everyday action on climate change by leaving the car at home more often.
MR PETTERSSON: A supplementary.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Pettersson.
MR PETTERSSON: Minister, what investments are being made on Canberra’s north side?
MR STEEL: I thank Mr Pettersson for his supplementary question. We have made significant investments in cycling infrastructure on Canberra’s north side in recent years, with the completion of the first stage of the Belco bikeway last year and the detailed design for the second stage underway. This is in addition to investments in last year’s budget handed down earlier in the year for a feasibility study to widen paths to busy areas around Lake Ginninderra to better separate cyclists and pedestrians. This year’s budget also includes an allocation under the Australian government’s road safety program to fund construction of the second stage of the bikeway. This will run along Haydon Drive to connect to the University of Canberra, CIT Bruce and the AIS.
The budget also includes funding for feasibility and early design of the garden city cycle route, a major new trunk route down the eastern side of the inner north that will connect the inner north from Braddon through to Watson. In the Gungahlin town
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