Page 2834 - Week 07 - Thursday, 7 June 2012
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MS GALLAGHER: These costs are not the final costs, as members would know. The final report has not been received yet. That will give a very clear breakdown of all the costs that have arisen for those estimates. From my discussions with the minister, those costings will be released entirely for the community to consider.
In terms of the costings, I start by saying that there is no conspiracy on this side of the chamber to make against light rail. It was this government, and me as Chief Minister, that reintroduced the concept of light rail to be examined along that corridor. But what we are saying is that we need to understand the full costs of choosing light rail. We need to understand that completely before we make that decision and examine that against the benefits of bus rapid transit as well.
So those costings will be arrived at in the final document. Then the Gungahlin-to-city project office, which has been established within the LDA will, of course, depending on the decisions reached about what mode of transport to choose as being the preferred option, take the work from there, and I imagine that more detailed costs would be done as part of that work.
MS BRESNAN: Supplementary.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Ms Bresnan.
MS BRESNAN: Minister, will you table in the Assembly by the end of today the complete economic modelling and data used to project the costs of light rail and bus rapid transit so that the community can scrutinise these costs before the government decides which transport mode to pursue?
MS GALLAGHER: In my previous answer I said “when that work is finalised”. What we have done is provide the community with an update of where that work is at this point in time. When the report is finalised—the government has not received that final report—my understanding from discussions with the minister is that those costings will be released in detail as part of that final report. I do not believe I can provide what you are asking for by close of business today, because that work has not been completed. I am sorry, Ms Bresnan. I will take further advice from ESDD, but that is my understanding of the matter.
MS LE COUTEUR: Supplementary, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Ms Le Couteur.
MS LE COUTEUR: Given that this week New South Wales announced that it would build a light rail project for $30 million per kilometre, which is less than half the cost per kilometre proposed for the Gungahlin-Civic light rail route, will you re-examine the savings opportunities for the Canberra light rail route and release them to the community?
MS GALLAGHER: The costings will be released. Again, I have had quite detailed discussions with the minister about this, because there does seem to be a view by
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