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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 14 Hansard (10 December) . . Page.. 5069 ..

MR HARGREAVES (continuing):

We need more housing in the outer suburbs. The government has recognised that and is actively acquiring properties in the high-demand areas. This policy decision is to be applauded. Public housing should be located as evenly as possible throughout Canberra.

Finally in the housing area, I would like to welcome the decision by Minister Corbell to make adaptable housing possible in Calwell and Chisholm group centres. This decision will bring major benefits to those group centres and has been warmly welcomed.

Turning to community and retail facilities, the government completed this year a $1.3 million upgrade of the Chisholm playing fields, an $850,000 facelift for the Higgins shops, an $800,000 refurbishment of the Jamison shopping centre and a $500,000 facelift for the Belconnen lakeshore. I should also mention the direct sale of land to establish Aldi supermarkets in the Kippax group centre and the Conder group centre that will bring competition and cheaper prices to residents of west Belconnen and the Lanyon Valley.

On transport, the government has instituted a new ACTION bus timetable that has delivered a 20 per cent increase in weekday services in the Gungahlin area, the introduction of a trial evening service to Weston Creek, and expanded route coverage for Dunlop and Conder. The government also introduced the one fare anywhere single zone fare system that has resulted in a 9 per cent increase in adult patronage.

In my electorate of Brindabella we have seen the completion of two major road upgrades-the Drakeford Drive duplication project between Taverner Street and Isabella Drive and the Athllon Drive duplication from Drakeford Drive to the Tuggeranong Town Centre, projects for which I had been agitating for well over seven years, and it has taken a Labor government to complete them. I express my appreciation to Minister Wood for his efforts on those. Both of these projects have been keenly sought by local residents and have significantly improved traffic flow in the valley.

In Ginninderra, we have seen the completion of the $7 million William Hovell Drive extension. It is an extremely busy road, being used by 24,000 cars each day. In the suburban areas of Molonglo, the government continues to improve transport services. Examples include the Woden to Dickson on-road cycle lane and the improved access to the Phillip business district via the extension of Parramatta Street through to Athllon Drive.

The big one, though, is the Gungahlin Drive extension. I note that my colleague Bill Wood announced yesterday the next steps in the project towards the construction stage. I understand that the preliminary works tender, which includes fencing, vegetation and tree removal, will be awarded in January 2004, with work to be completed by June 2004.

The final design work will be completed in March 2004 and the overall project completed in June 2006. The nine-kilometre road will ultimately link the Barton Highway at Gungahlin Drive with the Tuggeranong Parkway at the Glenloch Interchange and will considerably improve the transport options for the people of Gungahlin.

Mr Speaker, the Government's commitment to bushfire recovery has been extensive. ACT Housing properties that were destroyed or damaged have been rebuilt promptly. Bushfire-damaged fences in Housing properties have been replaced with colourbond

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