Page 1912 - Week 05 - Thursday, 6 May 2010
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Public transport is about reliability and amenity. And what does the budget provide? It provides $3.15 million for a major bus station at Erindale. It provides $4.1 million over four years to develop park-and-ride facilities, including one at Erindale, which will no doubt augment the major new bus station. And there is more. You did not have steak knives, did you? And there is more, as I say. There is $700,000 for—
Mr Hanson: Trying to be funny, John?
MR HARGREAVES: Mate, I could not match you. Since Superman died there has never been a match for you. Madam Assistant Speaker, there is $700,000 over four years for bike-and-ride facilities, including one at Erindale. The bike-and-ride facility is one of the most magic things that we have provided. I do not know if members are aware of why it took so long.
We had facilities in Civic for bike-and-ride. I do not know if you do recall this, Madam Assistant Speaker, because I know you are committed to that sort of stuff. The government was actually advised by the security experts at the time of the September 11 explosions thing in America—
Mr Hanson: Explosions thing?
MR HARGREAVES: that, in fact—we can be picky but Colonel Klink knows the difference between an explosion and something that goes bang in the night, and certainly he has not gone bang in the night for some time. What happened was that the security people said, “Do not put them in the city where there is mass transport because if we get a terrorist attack it will take out too many people.” So the government has always been reluctant to put the bike facilities elsewhere in Canberra. However, we did observe the success of that particular facility in Auckland; so we have overcome that fear, which is great.
We have also got $2.75 million for new bus stops, shelters, signs, lights and bike racks on major bus routes, including Tuggeranong. This is just fabulous. Yes, those opposite have heard right: the government has made a massive investment in health and transport. It is a massive investment. I have heard that word “massive” before today.
Mr Hanson: Your massive tax on homes, John.
MR HARGREAVES: What is that about a massive fax? I do not know. Madam Assistant Speaker, is that the ghost of Steve Pratt that I heard moaning just then? It cannot be. But I know that he was a bit iffy about new on-road and off-road cycles and community paths, and now we have got $1 million going into that too. This, of course, is dear to Mr Rattenbury’s heart. I reiterate what I said before. We went to the forum and advocated that to the opposition; so no wonder they are whinging about that $1 million.
What does impress me is that this government, through this budget, continues to enhance and support this massive new investment of $54 million in the Kambah P-10 school with a further $240,000—
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