Page 1757 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 7 June 2022
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Our focus now is on getting on with delivering this project and realising the benefits that are associated with it. That is why we will be preparing a benefits realisation plan, once we have received works approval for stage 2A and engaged a partner to deliver it. A benefits realisation plan follows on from the analysis undertaken during the project assessment and business case stage. It captures each of the project benefits that are intended to be delivered by the project and then sets targets, indicators, time frames, reporting protocols and governance responsibilities for these. It is a way of ensuring that those benefits are genuinely realised so that the original investment made by government is worthwhile.
As officers from Major Projects Canberra noted during the recent committee hearings of the public accounts committee into the Auditor-General’s report on the stage 2A business case, the benefits from these kinds of major infrastructure projects can come over a period of decades, and most of them do not commence until the thing is built. A benefits realisation plan is therefore usually developed and agreed during the delivery phase of a project. This means that monitoring and measuring the benefits can commence once the project becomes operational.
From a transparency perspective, a benefits realisation plan itself has a number of benefits. It makes it clear to the community and stakeholders what benefits a project is intended to achieve or deliver in quite a practical way. It sets indicators and targets against these so that progress can be transparently tracked over time. It keeps government agencies and stakeholders focused on the delivery of those benefits because, as I have noted, these often have a long lead time to realisation and need ongoing effort. Preparing a benefits realisation plan was one of the recommendations of the Auditor-General’s report into the stage 2A business case, and our government will be acting on that recommendation.
We can keep having the same conversation in this chamber if Mr Parton and the Liberals like. But while we are having it in here, the government is getting on with the work of building light rail to Woden, less than 500 metres up the road. If it were not for today’s weather, Mr Parton could stick his head out of the window and probably see our crews getting on with the work.
We have been transparent at every stage in releasing the business case for stage 1 and stage 2A of light rail, and we will continue to be transparent in releasing the business cases for stage 2B and any future stages we deliver. In line with the advice from the Auditor-General, we will prepare a detailed benefits realisation plan for stage 2A at the appropriate time and also make this available for Canberrans to see and transparently assess.
Once we have gone through the procurement process for stage 2A, of course we will transparently release the contract for any works that are undertaken by the delivery partners, for the public, Mr Parton and the Assembly to see. We are in that process at the moment, trying to get value for money. We are getting on with the work of delivering light rail to Woden. What we will not do is let the Canberra Liberals slow down or obstruct the delivery of this important transformational project for Canberra’s future just because they do not like it and never have.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video