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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 3 Hansard (8 March) . . Page.. 844 ..

MR HIRD (continuing):

Recommendation 16 addresses one of the issues which Mr Corbell has raised in his dissenting report, and it leads me to wonder why he used this matter as an item of dissent when we as a committee share his concern and make allowance for it.

The recommendations call on the government to ensure that a high standard of bus service is provided for Gungahlin residents, and in particular to ensure that the provision of these services keeps pace with the growth of that area. We call on the government to establish clear and direct intertown bus connections from Gungahlin to other parts of Canberra.

We also recommend at recommendation 17 that the government, in its public transport planning, provide for IPT routes that can be used for both bus and light rail purposes. This planning, in the early stages, will provide the necessary flexibility to allow future governments to consider more than just the one option in adapting to changing needs and technology.

Recommendation 18 also addresses an area Mr Corbell has highlighted in his dissent, and again I am confused as to why he has chosen to raise this issue, as we seem to be in agreement. The recommendation is that the government should re-examine its employment policies affecting employment location and opportunities in Gungahlin. We recommend that measures be immediately instituted to increase the amount of both public and private employment. This recommendation reflects the importance of the range of measures to address Gungahlin's transport needs. It is not just a matter of road; it is a combination of a range of strategies.

Mr Speaker, in addressing Gungahlin's traffic problems, we need to think outside the Gungahlin square. Recommendations 19, 20 and 21 look at making more effective use of Majura Road. We recommend that the agreement of the federal government should be sought to classify Majura Road as a national highway, reflecting its importance as a key link between the Federal Highway and the Monaro and Kings Highways, which serve the south-east region of New South Wales, including the emerging defence facility in Eden.

The ACT government, in conjunction with the federal government, should commence design work for a permanent grade-separated interchange of Majura Road, Morshead Drive, Pialligo Road and the Monaro Highway, or Dairy Flat Road as it is called at that spot. We call for Majura Road to be renamed the Monaro Highway in recognition of the key role it would play in providing regional transport links.

Recommendation 22 calls for the government to plan early construction of Horse Park Drive and the Federal Highway at Majura Road, or the new Monaro Highway, as it will hopefully eventually become. This would provide a further way for Gungahlin residents to access other parts of Canberra.

Mr Stanhope: This is exhausting, Harold.

MR HIRD: You may treat it as a joke. I do not. This was the subject of many submissions to the committee.

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