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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 3 Hansard (10 April) . . Page.. 849 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

Tourism will always remain a key industry for Canberra. Our city is the national capital and is perhaps the best and most successful planned city in the world. It is unique and it will continue to attract visitors from both interstate and overseas. Increasingly, the focus of tourism in Canberra has been to encourage people who visit our city to stay longer and to enjoy the many different attractions and features that we possess. However, questions must be asked. What will this mean for overnight stays and our accommodation industry? Will people make Canberra a day destination but not stay overnight if a very high speed train is in place? The implications for our tourism industry need to be better understood and it is vital for our tourism industry that we do that in today's context, not in the context of nearly eight years ago.

This inquiry, I believe, will be welcomed by anyone concerned about the future development of our city. It is an opportunity to look forward and prepare for a major development which could fundamentally change our city's economic future and our relationship with the surrounding region. Today this Assembly should foster a considered and thoughtful approach on this major infrastructure project and not rely purely on the jingoism and sloganism that has often gone with this development.

I want to make it very clear that my intention is that this inquiry not interfere with the existing joint secretariat examination of the very high speed train which is considering the issues surrounding the development of the train itself and its financial and environmental implications. This is not the aim of this inquiry. Neither is this inquiry in any way an attempt to delay the very high speed train project. It will not delay this project and it will place no constraint on governments making decisions regarding the development of a VHST.

This inquiry, I believe, should instead be viewed as an opportunity which will produce valuable information and recommendations which will assist and not hinder the ACT Government in its preparation for the development of a very high speed train. I hope that the Government will reconsider its position on this inquiry and recognise that a thoughtful, wide-ranging and considered approach will provide valuable information and recommendations on the issues an ACT government will need to address in the context of the development of a very high speed train and its impact on Canberra. When a very high speed train is built Labor wants to make sure that all Canberrans understand what it will mean for our city and that this Assembly has played a useful and important role in preparing Canberra for the development of this project. When the very high speed train is built Labor wants to make sure that everyone in the community benefits - an aim, I hope, that all members in this Assembly would share. I urge members to support this reference.

MR MOORE (11.21): I rise to support the motion, and I do so with the enhanced knowledge of having had a ride on a very fast train from Paris to Lille. In fact, I rode on two very fast trains, Mr Speaker, one from Paris to Lille and one from Paris to Le Mans, as well as the magnetic levitation train. This inquiry, I think, has a very important role. The mayor of Lille had used the opportunity to enhance the economic standing of that city in a whole range of ways. I think Mr Corbell is quite right in saying that we should try to understand the benefits that a project like this has the potential to bring to Canberra.

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