Page 4931 - Week 17 - Tuesday, 11 December 1990
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
route choice, economic cost/benefit, the right of way and project finance. At our meeting in Sydney the four governments agreed to the formation of a joint government standing committee comprising the permanent head of the agency in each jurisdiction with responsibility for very fast train matters. This heads of agency standing committee will be assisted by a joint government task force of officials to undertake detailed work.
Within the next week or so the VFT Joint Venture will publicly release its project evaluation report which, together with the "Economics of the Very Fast Train" - a paper released in October 1990 - will enable informed public comment to continue. This public response will be incorporated into the ACT Government's consideration of the stage 1 issues.
By the end of March 1991 the stage 1 assessment will show clearly whether the very fast train project is a viable and beneficial project capable of obtaining the necessary finance to proceed. If this can be shown, then governments and the Joint Venture will agree that the project should proceed to a detailed environment impact study over the following 18 months.
Mr Speaker, this Government has maintained constant surveillance and consideration of this project and has encouraged public examination of this important transport proposal. We have produced three documents: firstly, setting out our position in relation to the VFT concept; secondly, reporting on the potential economic costs and benefit to the ACT of the project; and, finally, we have undertaken an inquiry through the Very Fast Train Advisory Committee to ascertain the community's views on the very fast train.
With the establishment of the March 1991 target in relation to stage 1 assessment, the Alliance Government, in close consultation with the Commonwealth, New South Wales and Victoria, will be giving the highest priority to a careful and considered evaluation of the material put forward by the Joint Venture. This process will include consideration of all the issues raised publicly to ensure that the community's interests are being well served. Mr Speaker, I table the statement released at the end of the meeting yesterday and a copy of this ministerial statement, and I move:
That the Assembly takes note of the papers.
MS FOLLETT (Leader of the Opposition) (3.39): Mr Speaker, I welcome the opportunity to respond very quickly to Mr Kaine's statement on the very fast train proposal. There are a couple of issues here that Mr Kaine has drawn attention to that I think really are historic in relation to this project. The first, of course, is that it is now a joint government approach. That is something that I very much welcome. I believe that it is long overdue.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .