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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 10 Hansard (Wednesday, 25 August 2004) . . Page.. 4149 ..

for the future. It is a real credit to this government, and in particular the Land Development Agency, that we have received this result with section 87, Belconnen.

Housing ACT also provides considerable assistance to older Canberrans who require affordable housing, with over 10 per cent of properties designated to older persons. That takes into account that, despite the fact that the Liberals when in government sold 700 houses from the public housing stock, we still maintained 10 per cent for older persons. They sold 700 houses and did not maintain any of the others.

MR SPEAKER: Order! The minister’s time has expired.

Cycle lanes

MS DUNDAS: My question is to the Minister for Urban Services and minister for emergency services, Mr Wood. Is the minister aware of concerns that, since the addition of cycle lanes and the subsequent narrowing of car lanes along Canberra’s roads, including Northbourne Avenue, some emergency vehicles cannot travel safely along these roads at the speeds that they need to when responding to emergencies?

MR WOOD: As minister for emergency services, I have had nothing pointed out to me from those officers about potential difficulties in relation to those cycle lanes. I have had no comment from urban services on that issue. If there are concerns, I will certainly attend to them.

MS DUNDAS: Minister, what work was done in the planning stages in relation to these cycle lanes to ensure that our roads could be safely used by cyclists, cars, emergency vehicles and other vehicles at the same time, as I have heard a number of reports that emergency vehicles are having a lot of problems negotiating those roads and are actually endangering the other people using those roads?

MR WOOD: I am not sure that there is much education really needed to manage cycle lanes, whether you are a cyclist or a motorist as you cross them. The lanes are fairly clearly marked; it is pretty obvious who belongs where. It is clear that motorists and emergency vehicles frequently need to cross a cycle lane in order to move to another street. I am not aware of any incidents or accidents in the last year since the first significant ones were done on Northbourne Avenue or out across Commonwealth Avenue Bridge and the like to Woden. There is a message for your average motorist, which is a good one at any time: just take your time; go along and be a careful driver. That is a good message all the time.

I have not heard of any issue with regard to emergency vehicles. As I say, I would attend to it if it were to be drawn to my attention.

Mr Stanhope: I ask that further questions be placed on the notice paper, Mr Speaker.

Supplementary answers to questions without notice

Department of Education and Training.

MS GALLAGHER: Further to a question that Mrs Burke asked me in question time: I am advised that a CPSU organiser rang my adviser and told him that a DET employee

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