Page 745 - Week 02 - Thursday, 23 February 2012
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Belconnen Way roadworks
MR SMYTH: Mr Speaker, my question is for the Minister for Territory and Municipal Services. Minister, my question relates to recent roadworks completed on the corner of Belconnen Way and Springvale Drive. After an extended period of this important intersection being closed, the corner was reopened after work was supposedly completed. The work completed has several large patches of uneven road and unfinished edges which are already forming potholes and breaking up. Minister, what are the standards of finish for remedial roadworks in the ACT, and were they applied in this instance?
MS GALLAGHER: I will take the question on notice in terms of the specifics of that question, but I would say that the standard that is required is that a quality road and quality roadworks are completed. If that is not the case and there is a defect period, as there normally is with government works, that work can be rectified. That is standard practice.
We have, I think, over 3,000 kilometres of road centre-line across the ACT. Where there are potholes that emerge, I know, because I have been out to meet them, that Roads ACT staff work pretty much round the clock whenever they are needed. They are out doing emergency roadworks when they need to—on a weekend, in the middle of the night, after storm events. That is the work that they do. In terms of work being performed by private contractors, the contracts that are in place have sufficient defect clauses, as far as I am aware, so that if there are any issues post the roadwork, they will be attended to accordingly. The Roads ACT staff monitor that very closely.
MR SMYTH: A supplementary, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Smyth.
MR SMYTH: Minister, as this project appears not to have been completed to an acceptable standard, can you guarantee this project was delivered on time and on budget?
MS GALLAGHER: The specifics of that I will take on notice but, as I said, I doubt very much that if there is a serious issue that Roads ACT and the professional staff involved with the day-to-day management of roads across our territory are not already dealing with it; it is their job to do so.
MR COE: A supplementary, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Coe.
MR COE: Minister, what other roads in Belconnen do you think warrant additional attention?
MS GALLAGHER: It is not up to politicians to choose what roads warrant additional attention. We have a professional team of road engineers that apply an
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video