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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 2 Hansard (5 March) . . Page.. 557 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

all the technologies and seriously putting them on the table.

The transport needs of Gungahlin residents are a high priority of the sustainable transport plan and these needs are specifically identified in the terms of reference of the public transport futures feasibility study. Members should be aware of that because these terms of reference were circulated to members last year.

The sustainable transport plan is exploring a range of innovative public transport options, including demand responsive feeder services, such as the ADART system raised by Ms Tucker, and bus only lanes between Civic and Gungahlin. ADART is an automated dial-a-ride transport system that provides demand responsive feeder services.

The government has also initiated the development of the Gungahlin Drive extension, which is another important component of the overall transport needs of Gungahlin residents. The government has already responded to the concerns that Gungahlin residents have continued to raise about access to public transport services. In particular, in the past 12 months the government has provided an additional 200 services into the Gungahlin area, and the introduction of the single zone bus fare has led to a 22 per cent increase in the number boarding in Gungahlin.

I accept that there is much more work to be done. It is not the government's proposition for a moment that the measures we have taken are the end of it. In fact, they are just the beginning. It is the beginning of improving services for Gungahlin as it is for many other parts of the city.

I am pleased to hear the Liberal Party coming on board and supporting the need for this discussion and this debate, because it was the Liberal Party that canned the light rail proposition back in 1995, just wiped it out. It said, "No more work, no more studies, that's it, it's gone."It was, of course, the Liberal Party that introduced the zonal fare structure, which made it more expensive to catch a bus than it did to drive your car to Civic and pay for parking. It was, of course, the Liberal Party that cut funding to ACTION. So I welcome their engagement in this debate; it is an important debate.

Mr Speaker, in conclusion, the government is supportive of Ms Tucker's motion. However, we do think that a couple of parts of it need amending. I have circulated two amendments. One is simply to recognise that the proposal for light rail is not a recommendation but a proposal. The second is to highlight that we are about improving public transport service delivery across the city, including to Gungahlin residents. Mr Speaker, I seek leave to move together the amendments circulated in my name.

Leave granted.

MR CORBELL: I move:

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