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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 1 Hansard (19 February) . . Page.. 213 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

All those governments accepted the street-based retailing model for Gungahlin that the people said they wanted. That was not some dim, dark, past, distant consultation. Last year and the year before that the Gungahlin Development Authority conducted a series of comprehensive opinion polls and community surveys to ascertain that the directions being undertaken by the Gungahlin Development Authority in the implementation of the development of the town centre were still consistent with community expectations.

That was an extensive polling and community survey process and it overwhelmingly found that the community supports a street-based retail system of shopping, rather than enclosed malls or enclosed public places. That is what the comprehensive, independent and professional community surveying found. Because one organisation has conducted an unprofessional, non-scientific, non-rigorous, self-initiated poll that shows 800 residents have a particular view about a particular matter, over the 3,000 that were professionally polled last year and the year before that, is that a reason to turn our back on everything that has been developed to date? No, it isn't and this government won't do it. It is not rigorous and it is not a good way to make policy.

Yes, there are concerns about traffic. The reason for that is that the street network for the Gungahlin Town Centre has not been completely built. In fact, it has hardly been built. Flemington Road, which becomes Hibberson Street as it goes past the town centre, is the only unimpeded road in and out of Gungahlin, particularly given the extensive construction activity on the Barton Highway in the past 18 months. Because of that, many Gungahlin residents have logically chosen to use Hibberson Street and the Flemington Road extension to leave Gungahlin in the morning and return in the evening. Because of that, there are very high traffic volumes along that road. Because of that, there is a clashing of traffic and pedestrians under the existing arrangements and there are legitimate concerns about safety.

There have not been any accidents to date. Nevertheless, there are legitimate concerns about safety. But is that an argument to completely change the planning for the Gungahlin Town Centre, to build a town square bigger than the Woden Town Square, or is it an argument to logically respond to the issue that we are facing? The government's view is that the best way to address this issue is to ensure that the road network is expanded to address the traffic issue in accordance with the plan and that is what the government, through the Gungahlin Development Authority, is doing.

The extension of Anthony Rolfe Avenue will be completed by April this year. The extension of Anthony Rolfe Avenue will ensures that traffic that is using the Flemington Road extension will not have to go past the front of the town centre, but instead diverts around it, addressing the concern that people have about the impact and the mixing of large volumes of traffic and pedestrians in the town centre. That is a reasonable response to the issue that has been legitimately raised about traffic.

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