Page 4920 - Week 15 - Thursday, 15 December 2005
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MR SPEAKER: Yes, but if it were to be coming up soon, that would be fair enough.
Mr Stefaniak: It does not say that in the standing orders.
MR SPEAKER: I can give you a reference in Parliamentary Practice, if you like.
Mr Smyth: That would be good.
MR SPEAKER: I can assure you it is there, because I have read it before.
MR CORBELL: Thank you, Mr Speaker. The government is very proud of its commitment to focus on shifting the number of journeys that happen from private motor vehicles and increasing the number of journeys that happen by public transport, walking or cycling. In this way we can truly become a more sustainable city because, of course, energy consumption associated with travel is the second most significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in our city. The government is very pleased that the work we have undertaken through funding, incentives and new initiatives in public transport is achieving results. I am very pleased to advise the Assembly that ACTION continues to set new records in adult patronage on a weekly basis. ACTION’s adult patronage continues to grow, with weekday adult passenger boardings averaging above 21,000 on most working days.
This financial year we will see over 5.5 million adult boardings. That is one million more boardings per year than when this government came to office four years ago. ACTION is currently estimated to be carrying approximately 8.25 per cent of all adults travelling to work. The target we have set ourselves as a government in the sustainable transport plan is for ACTION to have nine per cent of all adult journeys to work by 2011.
Last week ACTION had three consecutive days of over 22,000 adult passenger boardings. In February this year, as members may recall, ACTION achieved a milestone of over 20,000 adult passenger boardings. So just over the course of this year we have gone from hitting a record of 20,000 adult passenger boardings to now achieving over 22,000 adult passenger boardings on any particular day. What does this mean? It is a 15 per cent increase.
Mr Smyth interjecting—
MR CORBELL: I know Mr Smyth does not like it because, when he was minister, he introduced an unfair zonal fare system that made it cheaper to park your car in Civic than to catch a bus, cut ACTION’s budget and reduced funding for public transport. That had enormous impacts on our city. In contrast, this government has seen a 15 per cent increase in adult passenger boardings compared to the corresponding week in 2004 and an 18 per cent increase of over 3,000 in three years. We are immensely proud of this record and of the efforts we are taking to improve public transport in this city. We will stay on this track to continue to help build a more sustainable transport system for all Canberrans.
MR SPEAKER: Mrs Burke, I think the standing order you were touching on was standing order 117 (f), which goes to the issue of anticipating business. I refer you to
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