Page 2448 - Week 08 - Thursday, 30 August 2007
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They are the two essential things that need to be done to improve security for our ACTION staff—our transport officers and bus drivers—and our passengers. It is no good just saying, “There is money in the budget for two years; we will get around to it.” There is an urgent need to support staff and to sort our security at these interchanges, not to mention, by the way, the need for a greater police presence at these interchanges. Action is needed now, not in late 2007 or some time in 2008.
The issue of rock throwing assaults on buses has been mentioned in this place. The government has said, “Well, what solutions do the opposition have?” But, of course, instead the government ought to be telling us what solutions they have. The minister said, “Maybe we will have shatterproof glass, but it is going to cost half a million dollars.” Well, do it. That at least is a measure that the opposition would support. Shatterproof glasses on our buses will cost a lot of money, but we now know that there is a growing trend of this behaviour. So, in addition to targeted operations, there needs to be that sort of work done with our buses.
Could I alert the minister to initiatives that have been taken in other parts of Australia about rock throwing and brick dropping assaults on buses and cars? In Taree, they have had a dreadful problem with public buses and cars being hit by rocks. They have carried out targeted operations to arrest the offenders and they have been able—and I hate to use the term—to make an example of those offenders. But, more importantly, the incidents have dramatically reduced and the safety of car drivers and bus drivers is therefore so much better. Isn’t that much better than worrying about whether we should or should not be making an example of people through targeted operations?
Can we ensure that there is better lighting on the Deakin overpass? Can we ensure that within a one-kilometre radius of overpasses on all our major roadways, where people like to drop bricks at 1 am on a Sunday morning, the police and TAMS inspectors ensure that building supplies, masonry, bricks and areas of loose rock are secured and cleaned up? That at least would be a step forward.
These are solutions. I would hate to see us having to go to cages on overhead bridges, but if the trend continues the government will have to look at that. What measures have been put in place? What has the government done to deal with this issue? Like everything else in municipal services, they have failed. They have dropped the ball. They have no ideas. (Time expired.)
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella) (4.20): I want to respond to comments by members of the opposition in respect of this output class. Firstly, I would like to deal with Mr Pratt’s comment on the Tharwa bridge. The ACT government is committed to the construction of a new concrete bridge at Tharwa. It was always going to be budget linked, and funding of $9 million was allocated for this purpose as part of the 2007-08 ACT budget. There will need to be a study of the bridge before it goes ahead. The river banks around the bridge area are very sensitive and they will need to be looked after.
The development application for the bridge was approved on 23 August 2007. Design and documentation for the works is close to being finalised and two pre tender industry consultation advertisements have been placed by Procurement Solutions,
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