Page 697 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 22 February 2012
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get to work, get to school, get their children to school and get to appointments, and the congestion coming out of west Belconnen in particular, but Belconnen in general, is substantial.
I will just give you an example from this morning. Mr Smyth, Mr Doszpot and I, along with other members, were at the launch of the Brumbies at the University of Canberra and Mr Smyth came to me during a lull in proceedings and said, “If we need to be in the Assembly by 9 o’clock what time do we have to leave here to get there on time?” I said, “Really, if you go down the parkway it is going to take you at least half an hour.” He said, “What will happen if I go down Belconnen Way?” And I said: “That too is congested. You will go fairly well down the GDE but once you want to turn off onto Parkes Way you will hit a car park.”
I actually left a little earlier because I had my son with me and I had to make sure that he got to school on time—and it was exactly as I predicted. You roll down the GDE quite nicely, and as you get to the exits you hit a car park. As I rolled along, I looked out to the left and said to my son, “Look at all the cars there.” The cars along Parkes Way and, if you looked the other way, the cars along William Hovell Drive were at a standstill at a quarter past eight this morning. Mr Smyth and Mr Doszpot left after I did and, as I predicted, it did take them more than half an hour to get from the University of Canberra via the GDE and Parkes Way to the office. And that happens every day.
Ms Porter: No, it doesn’t.
MRS DUNNE: Ms Porter does not drive and I think she has a rose-coloured view about what it is like on the roads. She has a very rose-coloured view and she should start clocking her journeys. I clock my journeys, as do many other constituents, and it always surprises me how long it is taking now. A visitor to town asked me the other day what time he needed to leave home to be at such and such a place by a particular time and when I said how long it would take he said, “I used to think it would only take me a quarter of an hour to go anywhere in Canberra.” And I said: “That used to be the case. It isn’t anymore.” At peak hour it takes people who live in north-west Belconnen in excess of half an hour to get to Civic, when once it did take a quarter of an hour, and most of the time it takes upwards of 45 minutes.
William Hovell Drive is part of the solution. It is also part of the problem. The motion here today is asking for the government to share its information with the community. What does it know about William Hovell Drive? And, in the light of that information, what strategies does it have in mind to alleviate those problems?
I commend the motion to the Assembly on behalf of the people of Belconnen.
Debate (on motion by Ms Gallagher) adjourned to the next sitting.
Motion (by Ms Gallagher) agreed to:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
The Assembly adjourned at 8.51 pm.
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