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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 1 Hansard (19 February) . . Page.. 106 ..

MS HORODNY (continuing):

(4) developed a plan for a possible eastern ring road from Gungahlin and the Barton Highway to Central Canberra and the Monaro Highway via an upgraded Majura Road, to complement the public transport system.

Mr Speaker, the Greens have put forward this motion because we want to sort out the mess that has been created by the Government through its mishandling of the transport issues affecting Gungahlin and other North Canberra residents. Let me say at the outset that we are not intending this debate to be a superficial argument over whether one is pro or anti roads. This debate is about Government decision-making processes over a major public policy issue for Canberra, which is about determining the most appropriate transport system for the ACT that meets the needs of residents in the most cost-effective, socially responsible and environmentally sound way.

The issue of transport links to Gungahlin goes back a long way. It is true that the general layout of a network of freeways through North Canberra was included as part of the original Y plan for Canberra that was released in 1970 and that later planning studies continued to show this network. This has been used by some people to argue that the need for the John Dedman Parkway has already been proven, but the reasons for wanting a freeway in 1970 are quite out of touch with community attitudes in 1997. Awareness of the negative environmental impact of city traffic was not as pronounced then as it is now, and the knowledge and technology available to operate efficient public transport systems have advanced considerably since that time.

Let us not get caught up with those original studies. They do not provide a current justification for the John Dedman Parkway. Of more relevance is the Gungahlin external travel study of 1989 conducted by the former NCDC and the review of this study in 1991 by the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the ACT in its report on Gungahlin's transport links. The JPC report is really the key document outlining the process for determining Gungahlin's transport links. It is the adequacy of the Government's implementation of this report that is the crux of our motion. We believe that the Government is rushing ahead with setting up a timetable for building the John Dedman Parkway without full regard for the recommendations of the JPC report.

The thrust of the JPC report was quite clearly that a range of non-road options be implemented to lessen the need for car-based travel by Gungahlin residents before consideration was given to building more arterial roads through North Canberra. Let me go through some of the recommendations and the Government's responses. The critical one that we refer to in our motion is the recommendation that a study be conducted into the establishment of a rapid transport system in the ACT. Part B of that recommendation states:

to maximise the potential advantages of a new technology rapid transport system, including the possibility of reducing the need for additional road space to cater for the travel needs of the future residents of Gungahlin, this study should be completed and its findings released before the Commonwealth and Territory Governments commit themselves to the construction of any new roads to or from Gungahlin.

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