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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 10 Hansard (30 August) . . Page.. 3758 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

extension there was a report to you from PALM summarising the issues raised in the public comments received on the draft variation and PALM's response. Issues 50 and 52 in the report were about the movement of Caswell Drive to the east. PALM's response to these issues was not very supportive. For example, PALM said:

An eastwards relocation of an arterial serving the function which Caswell Drive currently provides would have significant impacts on the north-west sector of Black Mountain reserve. It also would have impacts on the remnant vegetation on that part of Bruce Ridge immediately north of Belconnen Way.

It also said:

The degree of fragmentation of reserve areas would be greater.

It also said:

While there would probably be savings in the cost of interchange construction, an alignment further east than Caswell Drive would incur greater costs overall as a completely new section of road which links into Caswell Drive south of Aranda would have to be constructed.

It also said:

Such an alignment would have potentially significant effects on the north-west sector of Black Mountain reserve. This area has a higher conservation status than that part of Bruce Ridge north of Belconnen Way and east of Calvary Hospital.

A higher conservation status, Mr Smyth. Minister, did you consult with your own department or read this document before issuing your media release saying that "the Aranda Residents Association's preferred route is the government's preferred route"?

MR SMYTH: Mr Speaker, of course I am aware of the documents and the work we have done because we have been working on that section for some time now. In the five-year traffic plan that we have put in place there is also an authorisation for some $6 million to look at Caswell Drive. As I said yesterday, whether the preferred route was in fact feasible still remains to be seen, and the final route would be determined after detailed engineering and environmental studies have been undertaken.

A contract has been let and I understand that the initial work to see whether or not it is feasible will be concluded by the end of November. I have said that all along. We support the option that the Aranda residents have said they would like to see occur. If it is feasible the government will back it.

MS TUCKER: Given the expected delays in finalising the route of Gungahlin Drive and Caswell Drive because of the ACT election and the need to vary the National Capital Plan, will you stop doing any design work on the road until we know once and for all where the road is going, or are you willing to waste taxpayers' money on designing a road that may be in the wrong place?

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