Page 3566 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 18 August 2010
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But as with London Circuit and Northbourne Avenue, the government ignored these projects. Instead, the money is again being spent on resurfacing the existing road and putting in new paving. All this is cementing Bunda Street into the exact same configuration. We know that configuration has problems with a high volume of motor vehicle traffic, noise, pollution and reduced pedestrian and cyclist safety.
Why did the government once again ignore the good redesign options that came from its consultation on Bunda Street? Why did it ignore its consultant report that said the redesign of Bunda Street was the number one priority project and the number two priority project for a cycling and pedestrian network in Canberra? If these projects do proceed at some stage in the future, the refurbished pavement and the re-laid roads will need to be taken up again. The street will need to be shut down once again, disrupting traffic and business.
My last example is Hibberson Street, which is the main town centre street in Gungahlin. The government commissioned a review as part of the pedestrian and cycling infrastructure review. It looked at Gungahlin and recommended that the government look at converting Hibberson Street into shared space. The shared space design was a way to reduce the traffic speed and traffic danger that the residents of Gungahlin were concerned about. The Greens had been calling for this also last year, as had of course the Gungahlin Community Council.
But the government instead spent its funds reconstructing three existing pedestrian crossings off Hibberson Street. Again, the government entrenched the same street design. The crossings that were already there were resurfaced and remarked. But if at some stage in the future the redesigning of Hibberson Street was to proceed and it was converted to shared space, the government’s recent work and spending would be wasted.
I have listed some of the existing expensive short-term works being undertaken by the government, and I want to remind the Assembly of a very relevant motion we passed in May. The motion was about active and sustainable transport. The Liberal Party did not support it, but the government did, although only after removing some significant aspects. In that motion, the government committed to some interesting statements. I will read them out:
The government released a Sustainable Transport Action Plan in 2004, however the government did not implement many of its recommended actions and priorities.
Perhaps most bravely, the government specifically supported the motion’s text that said:
… there remain many barriers in Canberra for walkers, riders and public transport users, especially as government funding strongly favours car travel.
I had hoped that when the government agreed to that statement we had opened up a window to changing, but looking around the city at the moment makes me think we are not changing much at all. We see literally millions of dollars being spent on
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