Page 4192 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 21 September 2010
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for the commonwealth. It is their land and they have responsibility, but we are prepared to work with them, and accept that any change to the parking arrangements in the triangle will have implications, hopefully, for public transport, in that there would be a significant uptake and that would assist us in making ACTION more attractive, most particularly to people who work in the triangle.
MR SPEAKER: Ms Hunter, a supplementary?
MS HUNTER: Yes, Mr Speaker. Chief Minister, what level of income could the ACT Treasury expect if widespread pay parking is introduced?
MR STANHOPE: It is not an issue that I have taken advice on. Indeed, Ms Hunter, it is quite possible that it is none. It is quite possible that the commonwealth would wish to manage any pay parking regime in the parliamentary triangle on their own behalf. That would not be consistent with our understanding of the commonwealth’s approach to these sorts of issues, but I have not had it computed and I have not asked for or received advice on any financial implications in terms of receipts from pay parking in the triangle. At this stage no decisions have been made by the commonwealth to agree to introduce pay parking. I hope they do, but no decision has been made. It could very well be that they would wish to manage those arrangements themselves.
A further aspect of the pay parking landscape is, as has previously been announced, that the ACT government has proposed, and does propose, to make available for purchase land that it owns within the triangle for the purposes of establishing a multistorey commercial car park. That is another piece of the jigsaw in relation to parking within the triangle. That is on the land release program, I believe, for this financial year. I would have to check that, but I believe that that is land that has been identified for sale this financial year.
MS LE COUTEUR: A supplementary, Mr Speaker?
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Ms Le Couteur.
MS LE COUTEUR: Minister, are the bus services to work locations in the parliamentary triangle capable of handling an increase in commuters should pay parking mean that more workers choose to bus to and from work in the parliamentary triangle?
MR STANHOPE: Thank you, Ms Le Couteur. I think the short answer to your question is yes. I think there is no area of Canberra better or more regularly served than the parliamentary triangle. I am not sure of the exact number but I am advised that there are somewhere in the order of 700 buses moving through the parliamentary triangle each day; that is, somewhere in the order of 700 buses crossing Commonwealth Avenue and Kings Avenue bridges every day.
It would be possible to catch a bus somewhere within the triangle at least every—
Mr Hanson: How many stop there, though, Jon?
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