Page 5514 - Week 15 - Wednesday, 9 December 2009
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We have talked about road structure. In terms of road structure, there is that nightmare that exists between Sternberg and Ashley crescents every morning where four lanes feed into one lane for about 300 metres. As I am reminded by my leader, in the election campaign we promised to duplicate that. It is appropriate that that is looked at. Indeed, in relation to the future of Ashley Crescent, it was clearly designed to be duplicated. In fact, the rest of Erindale Drive from the roundabout at the Mobil service station all the way down to Tuggeranong has clearly been set aside for duplication. The question is whether that is now required.
But in terms of getting the transport links in and out correct, the public transport and the private vehicles, it is about making sure that there is that need. If the need is proven, we need to do it long term. We need to start getting people having the discussions, doing the planning and getting it into budgets. It is important to get those transport links correct. Areas will thrive with public transport but the personal transport is also important.
There are a number of big issues. I am sure the minister has got the sense of it. From his words, I get the sense that the minister clearly understands what is required. I think it is very smart that it is done in conjunction with the Tuggeranong town centre proposal because it will create a strip between Erindale and Tuggeranong. There will be even more pressure on that area. There are a number of schools, there are a couple of sporting facilities, there are the suburbs of Monash, Oxley and Wanniassa. It will have impacts on them. If we do this properly it will be much to the minister’s credit. I think if it is done properly it will be to the credit of this place.
Mr Barr: You will issue a press release to that effect, will you?
MR SMYTH: I was going to give the minister credit where credit was due, and I have done that on a number of occasions. We will see how the minister reacts in kind. But it is quite clear that all three parties agree. It is time to move forward. I will move my amendment after the minister’s amendments are dealt with. I commend the motion to the house.
MR SESELJA (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (11.22): I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak on this issue. The Erindale centre is one of the group centres in Canberra that perhaps have the most potential. But there is no doubt that the overall design and the way that the centre has evolved over the last 20 or so years have been far from ideal. And we see a lot of those issues manifesting themselves. Mr Smyth, I think, has outlined a lot of the issues very well.
But it is worth reflecting on some of those issues. This was home ground for me. I grew up around the corner from Erindale. It has suffered, I think, from poor planning over the years. I think the traffic management issues have been one of the most important examples of that.
The restaurant precinct that Mr Smyth referred to is, I think, one of the more significant restaurant precincts in a suburban area in Canberra by far. There is a wide variety of eating venues.
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