Page 4806 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 11 November 2009
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Possibilities would include crossing over Sullivans Creek earlier. This would bring the road closer to Kenny shops, which would make it easier for Harrison, Kenny and Franklin residents to use it to access the Kenny shopping centre. It probably would make more sense, given the other changes, to move the plans for Well Station Drive to join Horse Park Drive closer to the Kenny group centre.
This would have an effect on Harrison 4 which, as I mentioned earlier, is currently being worked on. So this would appear to be a good time and possibly the last real opportunity to move the road to suit the present and future residents of the area. This is a $7 million project; so it is really important to ensure that we get it right rather than have to try to tinker with it afterwards. I am aware that the road design has already been put out to tender but I do not think, given the current progress on that, it would be too late to adjust the route.
My understanding is that ACTPLA has engaged Cardno Young to design the extension of Well Station Drive between Turtle Rock Road and Horse Park Drive, which is going to provide the additional access to the new suburbs of Kenny and Harrison 4. I understand that, under the current government timetable, the design process was expected—I suppose “could have been expected”—to be completed in October 2009. I imagine this has not happened, as I understand more consultation has been undertaken recently between ACTPLA and TAMS and I understand that the consultants are meeting with Gungahlin Community Council tonight. So I am very hopeful that in this meeting there can be an agreement for realignment or at least a way forward on this issue.
In addition, I would also point out that the road extension would require planning approval and that a development application will have to be lodged and publicly notified, and this is another time when the community has an opportunity to comment on the proposed extension. However, given the government’s attitude, as Mr Barr has expressed it, it is hard to see how, if the Assembly does nothing, the community will actually have a chance to have their views heard as part of the DA process. I understand that the construction is currently expected to start in April 2010.
In conclusion, I would like to say it is really a shame that the community needs to constantly ask to have their concerns addressed, and this is the third such incidence that we have had brought to the floor of the Assembly during my term. There has been Hawker; there has been Nicholls; now there is Harrison.
I was contacted about this issue shortly after my election and went out and saw it in January. So I wrote to Mr Barr and Mr Stanhope about the road and both ministers replied, basically saying: “Sorry, it is just too late to listen to the community again. We have already listened to the community.” And that, of course, was before the community was there to express their opinion.
However, I would like to note that, due to our persistence and even more due to the persistence of the residents, ACTPLA have increased their offers of noise abatement measures and are looking at what they can do to finetune the existing alignment. I do thank ACPTLA for that but note that that, without the persistence of the residents and members of the Assembly, this probably would not have happened. This would not
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