Page 2390 - Week 06 - Thursday, 23 June 2011
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MR CORBELL: I think it is entirely reasonable that at all times the government maintains confidentiality in relation to intelligence-gathering activities at the prison to ensure that the safety and good order of the prison is maintained at all times.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Hanson, a supplementary question?
MR HANSON: Attorney-General, would a planned, armed revolt by prisoners at the jail be defined as a problem?
MR CORBELL: It is not a problem if it is prevented as a result of intelligence gathering, Mr Speaker.
Environment—car use
MS HUNTER: My question is to the Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development and concerns the most recent data from the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics. It reveals that, of all Australian capital cities, Canberra has the highest amount of car driving per capita and the lowest per capita use of public transport. It also reveals that while other Australian cities are sharply increasing their rates of public transport usage, Canberra’s is in decline. Minister, to what do you attribute Canberra’s worsening transport statistics, and are they also attributable to the government’s transport planning policies?
MR CORBELL: I thank Ms Hunter for the question. The issue of the modal split in terms of transport in Canberra is an issue that the government is paying close attention to. Indeed, the Chief Minister has indicated in relation to her statement of priorities that the delivery of improved mass rapid transit for the city is a priority for her administration. The Chief Minister and I have already made a number of announcements in relation to how we intend to progress that issue.
In relation to the reasons for the modal split that occurs in the city, it is the case that Canberra has always had a very high level of journeys undertaken by private motor vehicle. That is a consequence, of course, of the design of the city over many years, and the provision of a very efficient and extensive road network which has focused opportunities for travel overwhelmingly on private motor vehicle use. The objective for this government is to identify those opportunities and those corridors in particular where we can strengthen public transport provision, where we can improve reliability and frequency of services, where we can improve infrastructure development to support public transport activity.
That will be this government’s focus as we move forward and as we focus on the delivery of those projects—for example, the delivery of new park-and-ride facilities at a number of locations around the city, including at Erindale and at the Exhibition Park location in Mitchell. It will continue to be the government’s focus as we deliver new bus station capabilities at the ANU City West exchange. It will continue as we roll out the new, enhanced and additional frequencies as part of the funding provided in the most recent budget to support more frequent bus services to key employment locations. This will continue to be the approach that the government adopts, in the
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