Page 1060 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 19 March 2013
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Yet I imagine that none of us now would even entertain the notion that a major city should go without a sewerage system.
I tell this story because there are lessons in it for us as we think about infrastructure planning, lessons about the political push and shove that goes with it and the necessity to look at the long game when having these discussions. We are reminded that when governments do not proceed with infrastructure they are criticised, as they are when they do. We understand that no-one likes a cost impact today for a benefit in the future. Yet the public reap the benefits of previous investments made by decision makers in years gone by, benefits that we take for granted as we flush our toilets, have fresh water on tap or switch on a light.
Good infrastructure planning ensures that projects are commenced in a timely fashion and that they can be undertaken in a way that reduces the capital cost burden on taxpayers of the day. Good infrastructure planning is about building for the long-term future, to the best of our ability, for the challenges that we are likely to face. It might mean spending more in the short term for a better long-term outcome. And good infrastructure planning involves thinking creatively about the solutions to future challenges rather than just doing things in the same old way and about employing innovative technologies where they are warranted.
These are the issues that we need to reflect on when we debate the topic that Mr Smyth has put forward today about the importance of good infrastructure planning in the territory. There are a whole range of matters that we need to be taking into account, and that is what this Assembly needs to be focusing on.
MR HANSON (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (4.17): I thank Mr Smyth for raising this matter of public importance today—the importance of good infrastructure planning in the ACT. I note that in his speech he raised a long list of examples of where that has not occurred under the Labor government. Sadly for the people of the ACT that is the case. Mr Barr only came up with three. I think he got a bit stuck. In returning fire he got a little bit stuck and ran out of ammo.
What we have seen under this government is a long list of failures. It is relevant that we are talking about infrastructure planning in light of Friday’s health hearings where we heard about the latest confusion within health planning. And it is fair to say that there has been a lot of confusion and a lot of disappointment. This arose as I was going forensically through the health projects that are subject to delay or cost blowouts, and it is fair to say that it is just about all of them.
As I was going through the literally dozens of health projects subject to some sort of delay, we came across the $41 million that has been put aside to build the tower block. Now, the tower block has been much touted by the Labor Party. It is all part of what they have been talking about for over a decade—their vision for rebuilding the health system, and it has all been part of that vision.
It is amazing what they tell us before elections and then what they tell us after elections. You might remember back in 2008 there was no mention of Calvary and the desire to take that over, even though they had the secret backroom deals. This is just
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