Page 2439 - Week 08 - Thursday, 30 August 2007
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It is pretty disgraceful when potholes are not filled in. Last year Mr Pratt and I went out and we found some potholes that had been there for at least three months or more. If we are lacking in those sorts of basic things which do not cost a lot of money it is indicative of a government that does not have its priorities right. I have made my contribution to this debate and I will elaborate further—
Members interjecting—
MADAM TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mrs Dunne): Order, members and Mr Hargreaves!
MR STEFANIAK: I will elaborate further when we come to the ActewAGL part of this minister’s responsibilities.
DR FOSKEY (Molonglo) (3.42): I commence my comments about Territory and Municipal Services by referring to public transport. Unfortunately, the only issues in this budget that we can discuss largely relate to ACTION buses. I wish we could also discuss the budget for light rail cab links or car share services, but I imagine that we will have to wait for a new government before we can do that. I welcome the increase in funding for public transport but I am disappointed that there is no commitment.
Members interjecting—
MADAM TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr Foskey has the call.
DR FOSKEY: I am disappointed that there is no commitment to increasing services. As I have said before, this budget has an unhealthy focus on encouraging private car use. We need a more frequent, more accessible and more sustainable transport plan, or at least a commitment to one that we already have. I am pleased that more funding has been allocated to making buses accessible to people with disabilities, although this is very slow, and largely you have to live on the right route to take advantage of the few that have accessible buses on them.
Similarly, I applaud the government for making bus travel free for cyclists from the beginning of next year as a greenhouse gas reduction measure, but again not all buses are so equipped. Despite the minister’s protests I still maintain that it is extremely difficult for parents with prams to use our bus services and only those without other transport options resort to wrestling with prams on our buses. I would have liked to have seen more targeted public transport options, a robust transport system that not only caters for the most vulnerable but also is attractive to people of all income levels and is part of a broader sustainability strategy.
Those who cannot afford to drive or who do not own a car should not be penalised for needing regular services outside peak hours. I certainly look forward to the results of the ACTION survey and I hope to see implemented the recommendations in the inquiry of the Standing Committee on Planning and Environment into public transport as there were some sensible proposals for working with what we have to enhance current services. I also await the detail of the government’s new bus network and hope that it comes close to meeting the needs of the community.
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