Page 3876 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 25 August 2010
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in recent years invested very heavily in the business of safety. In 2009-10, we provided $2.4 million in capital upgrade funding to focus primarily on safety and security, including, of course, the installation of CCTV cameras at interchanges and on buses, as well as supporting the relocation of the communications centre from the Belconnen depot to the Winchester Police Centre. Again, in 2010-11, we maintain or continue that focus on safety, security and efficiency, with an additional $2½ million to improve bus driver seats, to retrofit buses with park brake alarms and to undertake other efficiencies.
In relation to accidents and incidents, there are a significant number involving buses. That has been the subject of some interest by some within this place. We certainly are looking at all of those things that we, as an operator of a major fleet, should be doing in order to ensure that the buses are safe before they proceed onto the road, that drivers are aware of that and that they understand appropriately issues in relation to the bus and in relation to safety.
Underpinning these improvements, though, is the essential point I made yesterday: the need for the government or ACTION to achieve significant changes in relation to governance and workplace practice. That is why ACTION has taken the position it has in relation to the EBA negotiations. They really are important; they are fundamental to the capacity to actually make ACTION—
MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Chief Minister. Your time has expired.
MR STANHOPE: a far more attractive public transport network than it is.
MR SPEAKER: Chief Minister, we are going to have to try and make a bit of a better effort to actually finish.
Mr Stanhope: I just assume that everybody is deeply interested in all of these things.
MR SPEAKER: Perhaps you will have to compact it in to your available time then, Chief Minister. A supplementary question, Mr Seselja?
MR SESELJA: Chief Minister, could you provide us with an update on efforts to address the issues around the lack of a bus service between Deakin and Yarralumla and Marist college, an issue which we have corresponded on in the past?
MR STANHOPE: I cannot provide an update over and above that which has previously been provided in that correspondence, Mr Seselja, other than to say that ACTION is very responsive to consumer feedback in relation to any route where it is believed that demand actually justifies an additional service or expanded service.
Of course, in relation to ACTION’s current capacity, it has a budget of somewhere in excess of $100 million. With the breadth of the city and expansion to the new greenfield estates and areas, there are significant equity issues facing ACTION as a network provider in meeting all of the expectations of all of Canberra and doing it in a framework that recognises the breadth of the network, its expanse and some of the issues around finance and efficiency in relation to the capacity to run buses into areas
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