Page 1055 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 21 March 2012
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distance and there are delays. There are delays on Kingsford Smith Drive and there are considerable delays on Coulter Drive because of the backing up of traffic and also the interaction of roundabouts. The timing and staging of these roadworks will have to be done quite carefully. The people of Belconnen have already suffered through four or five years of road delays due to the botched building of the GDE, a road that we had to build twice. I think they are coming to the end of their tether with delays caused by roadworks.
It might be timely for the government to consider some advice about the use of Coppins Crossing Road, which is now becoming a choke point. It was used quite heavily by Belconnen residents wanting to get to Woden during the construction of the GDE. It is a road I have always enjoyed using because it gives you a modest country drive, but since the development works around Wright it has also become a considerable choke point. It was a real problem for people this morning. In the fog it was particularly dangerous. The roads coming out of Belconnen where people are trying to avoid congestion are becoming congested in other spots. Alleviation of this problem of the main arterial out at Belconnen will be of great benefit to the people of my electorate. I am sure that Mr Coe, when he gets here, will echo those sentiments.
I thank the government for the information it has provided. I will spend some time looking carefully at it. It is interesting that at peak times we are seeing in excess of 4,000 vehicles go through the intersection of William Hovell Drive and Bindubi Street. That is an indicator of the amount of traffic that is there. There are considerable delays there most mornings. When this matter came on for discussion the last time we sat, in February, one of the staff said to me, “Does that mean that when I drive north on the Tuggeranong Parkway and turn onto Parkes Way the delays that I experience there will also be alleviated?” Yes, they will, when all this work gets done.
There are still issues, and they have become worse since the rain. But even before the heavy March rain there were issues with the quality of the pavement in that area. It was pointed out to me that there is one section of William Hovell Drive where the verge is utterly littered with hubcaps. People have lost their hubcaps on the rough surface. There must be a considerable problem with the pavement there when you sometimes see 10 or 15 hubcaps all scattered along the road. I think there are significant issues. This is a major arterial. There are many roads converging through the Glenloch interchange. I think there is still a lot of work to be done to make it a safe, durable and problem-free road. I thank the Chief Minister for the work that has already been done and I thank her for her commitments to keep the Assembly updated. I look forward to that update in May.
MR COE (Ginninderra) (4.27): There are a few things that need to be said in response to some of the comments which some members in this place have made during this debate. Of course, it starts with the Chief Minister’s very petty comments about who is in the chamber. If that is going to be the new standard, that we have got to be in the chamber to show that we respect an issue, I trust you will be in this chamber 24/7 once we are in session—
Ms Gallagher: One of you.
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