Page 1544 - Week 05 - Thursday, 11 April 2013
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ACTION bus service—Weston Creek
MRS JONES: My question is to the minister for transport. Minister, many constituents within the Weston Creek community—
Mr Corbell: Point of order, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: Sorry, Mrs Jones. We do not have a minister for transport.
MRS JONES: I apologise.
MADAM SPEAKER: To whom are you directing the question?
MRS JONES: My question is to the Minister for TAMS. Correct?
MADAM SPEAKER: Territory and Municipal Services maybe.
MRS JONES: Correct. Thank you; I am still learning.
Mr Coe: To her favourite minister.
MRS JONES: To my favourite minister: many constituents within the Weston Creek community tell me that they are deterred from using ACTION buses as they always need to travel via Woden or Civic. Minister, why are there no direct services from Cooleman Court to Belconnen or Tuggeranong?
MR RATTENBURY: I cannot offer you the historical reasons for that, Mrs Jones, although I am aware of those frustrations. What I can tell you is that we are currently in the process of starting to design a new network for ACTION, and there will be a level of community consultation. Members of the public have been and will be further invited to make suggestions about improvements in the network. That will be looking at issues of frequency, the current routes and whether further routes should be added. It is certainly my hope that we can improve bus services to Weston Creek so that people in that community have a more reliable, better service to get them to the places they need to go to.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mrs Jones.
MRS JONES: Can the minister commit to putting a high priority on direct services from Weston Creek to Belconnen and Tuggeranong as a part of the new consultation and the design of the new network?
MR RATTENBURY: We are not to the stage yet where we are able to confirm what services will or will not be offered as part of the new network. As I said earlier, I am aware of the concerns expressed by residents of Weston Creek—or their desire for improved services. We are, of course, receiving requests from numerous parts of Canberra for new and additional services. I will be working with ACTION—
Members interjecting—
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