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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 14 Hansard (10 December) . . Page.. 4634 ..

MS HORODNY (continuing):

We are, throughout the whole country. In the ACT we have unique problems that we are trying to deal with. Mrs Carnell is absolutely right when she says that we have inherited certain problems and that we inherited a certain infrastructure that we now have to maintain. I agree that that is a real issue of concern. Canberra, being the capital of Australia, has been dumped by the Federal Government. We as a community are expected to support this city to a level that will maintain it as the national capital. That is not possible. This is the national capital. The Federal Government need to acknowledge that this is what it is, and they need to take an interest in and maintain a financial commitment to this city.

I agree that there are problems here. We have inherited a huge road system that we now have to maintain. We have inherited huge green open spaces that we have to water and mow. I agree that they are real problems, but there are creative solutions to managing our urban open spaces.

Mr De Domenico: What are they?

MS HORODNY: There are solutions, Mr De Domenico. As for our road system, the only solution we seem to have is to build more roads. Only two suburbs of Gungahlin give you a direct bus service to Civic. In the other suburbs people have to go to Civic via Belconnen. That is obviously not viable. It is obvious that in Gungahlin more people need to buy cars than would really like to. I have spoken to many people in Gungahlin who are not happy with having to buy a second car, but they have absolutely no choice. Your solution is to say, "Let us build the John Dedman Parkway. Let us forget about buses. We do not like empty buses. They cost too much. We do not mind roads because they are good for jobs. We like high-tech solutions". This Government loves high-tech solutions.

Mr De Domenico: Every motorist loves roads. You have to provide things that people want.

MS HORODNY: No, it is not what people want, Mr De Domenico. You obviously have not been speaking to the people. Under the supposed ecological sustainability principles and ideas in this document we are happy to build mega-roads, instead of providing buses to solve the transport problems in Canberra. Instead of implementing an energy-saving strategy, we want a gas-fired power station. We want to build things. That is the whole solution that you have for this city. We want more business; we want more jobs at any cost.

Mr De Domenico: Tell us how you would create some jobs.

MS HORODNY: There are no real solutions in this document, Mr De Domenico. I am not happy with this document. I do not see that anyone in the community will be happy with it. There are no answers in it. You would not want to look to this to save Canberra. It is not going to save Canberra. The process has been so poor. You have not taken the Commonwealth with you. You have not taken the Assembly with you. (Extension of time granted) You certainly have not taken the community with you.

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