Page 1097 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 20 March 2013
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
project that we have ended up with. I am sure the irony is not lost on anyone in this place that, as the new minister in charge of Roads ACT, I am the person now responsible for overseeing it.
That said, I am not going to move an amendment today to remove it—firstly, because it is unlikely I would get any support for such an amendment, given the enthusiasm of the bulk of the chamber for this freeway, and, secondly, because the Greens did acknowledge, and still do acknowledge, that there were good reasons to upgrade Majura Road and that the road itself is important infrastructure.
The point of difference that I have and the Greens had in the previous term was more about the scale of the upgrade that was visualised. Instead of the four-lane freeway version we have ended up with, the Greens imagined a version that was more contained and in keeping with the character of the Majura valley, while addressing the safety issues that have arisen. This included upgrading the intersections where accidents were frequently occurring, ensuring safe access to Majura Road for residents, a short section of dual lane and improved lighting at night. These are the sorts of things that would make the road safer without necessarily having the scale of investment or intrusion into the valley that the design envisages.
There were other reasons for not supporting such a large amount of public infrastructure spending on just 11 kilometres of road. That included the lost opportunity cost of putting that money towards other forms of transport that would especially serve the people of Gungahlin more effectively.
In the context of this discussion it has been a great achievement to ensure that the government are now committed to delivering light rail for north Canberra in the imminent future, so that we can do the long-term work to alleviate the congestion pressures that residents of Gungahlin in particular experience. Increasingly there is a flow-on effect through areas of inner north Canberra, arising from congestion caused by the very considerable population growth in the Gungahlin region.
Some may say that, because I and my party were not supportive of the parkway, there is some concern about my being given the job of overseeing its delivery. Let me take this opportunity to assure members that I take my ministerial responsibilities very seriously and there need not be any concern. Now that the project is committed to and the contracts have been signed, I will be ensuring, as much as I can within my ministerial responsibilities, that the project is built to the highest possible standard, that it is built to comply with its expectations and that it is done on time and within budget.
Having made those comments on that specific element, in terms of the rest of the motion, I certainly welcome Dr Bourke’s reference to municipal services. As the Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, I think that this is a very important issue for our community. Certainly the level of correspondence that I receive on these matters reflects how much the community does have an interest in these issues.
I am certainly working with the Territory and Municipal Services Directorate to constantly improve delivery of services in this city. I know that the staff of the
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video