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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 10 Hansard (28 August) . . Page.. 3389 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

The government said there would be extra costs for the western route from having to move the AIS car parks, but this must be balanced against the unstated costs of the eastern alignment and having to rebuild Masterman Street and Tucker Street. The government says that the AIS will be cut off from the rest of the Bruce precinct, but the AIS' links to the businesses and institutions in the Bruce precinct are not strong anyway. This is also a poor argument when it is recognised that the University of Canberra, which is touted as being a part of the Bruce precinct, is actually separated from it by the four-lane Haydon Drive.

Civic is cut in two by the six-lane Northbourne Avenue, but Canberra residents cope with this. I am sure that we can work out safe ways for people to cross the western alignment to get to the AIS. Also, the government does not seem concerned about cutting off the AIS from Bruce and O'Connor Ridge, which will impact negatively on the recreational and sporting use of this bushland.

Both options will have a major impact on the ecological values of Bruce Ridge, but the government admits that the eastern alignment will require four more hectares to be removed from Bruce Ridge than the western alignment. The argument seems to boil down to what is more important: four hectares of bush or a car park; integrity of a nature park or a car park.

The concern about the impacts of the western alignment on Kaleen residents and on the Kaleen grasslands is also really a furphy. It is true that the area between Ellenborough Street and Ginninderra Drive contains some remnant native grasslands, but this area has been disturbed by past grazing and is not of high quality. The government's own action plan for natural temperate grasslands only rates this area as three on a scale of one to five for botanical significance. This area was not recommended for reservation. The Maunsell report was also dismissive of the ecological value of this area. It noted the grassland was disturbed and had been invaded by phalaris, plantago and paspalum.

Concern about the noise impacts on Kaleen residents has also been raised, especially by Mr Osborne, as a key argument. Of course, we are all concerned in this place about the impact of roads on people who live nearby. There has to be amelioration of sound impacts on residents, and that can be done.

We have the same issue now in Aranda where residents are asking that the road be pushed into the Black Mountain part of the nature park. So we are going to have that same battle there. It is, of course, important to look at social amenity and the impact on people from roads, but we also have to look at the other very broad issues that have been outlined here today.

Mr Moore and Mr Osborne said that they had decided which way they would vote after having walked the two routes. I must say I find that pretty intellectually insulting in view of the amount of time and the amount of work that has gone into this issue. Mr Osborne said he wanted to look at the facts. I hope Mr Osborne reads the submission from the O'Connor Ridge park care group, and I hope he comes back and responds to it. I am speechless. How can you say that you went for a walk and therefore you know it is not going to do any damage?

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