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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 9 Hansard (2 September) . . Page.. 2728 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

The committee has no power to resolve this issue. I want to draw that to members' attention. In fact, it is, of course, an issue to be resolved by the Assembly as a whole. Indeed, that applies to variations to the Territory Plan too. The committee makes a recommendation to the Assembly indicating what we believe the Assembly should do; but, of course, members are still free to act out of their own considerations. In this case we have a unanimous view of the committee that no further effort be made to proceed with an extension of Ginninderra Drive. The committee acknowledges that an expenditure of $9.65m on the extension could be justified if it solved the problems of the whole area; but, after careful examination of the evidence, the committee concluded that such expenditure is not warranted, because not only would it not solve the problems of the area but it would in itself create a whole series of new problems.

The committee reached this conclusion for several reasons. First, the cost of the extension was not matched by the benefits. Second, the extension would cause major problems on Northbourne Avenue. Third, it would simply transfer problems of rat-running from one side of Northbourne Avenue to the other. Fourth, it would not provide a long-term solution to the traffic problems of North Canberra. In short, Mr Speaker, the committee considered that there is not sufficient evidence existing to justify the committee recommending to the Government that the whole issue of extending Ginninderra Drive be reopened.

I know that this decision of the committee will not suit some of the people who lobbied us. Nevertheless, it was important for the committee to examine the issues carefully. We did so carefully. I must say that all members of the committee approached this with a very open mind. I have already had a phone call suggesting that that was not the case, but I do know it to have been the case. We approached it with an open mind and looked at the issues in front of us, and we have taken care to explain our decision. The recommendations read:

The Committee recommends that the ACT Government:

request the Federal Government to promptly delete the Ginninderra Drive reservation from the National Capital Plan;

adjust its current Capital Works Program to facilitate an immediate start on the installation of traffic lights at the Mouat/Brigalow intersection and the placement of turn restrictions at Archibald/Mouat Streets (costing approximately $750,000 in total);

urgently write to the Federal Government to request that it advance its timing for the Barton Highway to be duplicated, particularly in light of increased traffic using that road once Gungahlin Drive is opened in the near future;

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