Page 2863 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 13 August 2013
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Roads—Spofforth Street
MS BERRY: My question is to the Minister for Territory and Municipal Services. Minister, could you outline what changes are proposed to the traffic arrangements on Spofforth Street?
Mr Hanson: Do we know anyone that used to lived there?
MR RATTENBURY: Straight into the gutter, Mr Hanson, in your usual style, I see. Nice work!
MADAM SPEAKER: Order, Mr Rattenbury! We have had a few little testy bits today. As a result of that, people have been moderately well behaved and I would like that to continue. Would you like to moderate your language?
MR RATTENBURY: I would be pleased to, Madam Speaker. I was drawn to respond by the insinuation that Mr Hanson made, which I thought was entirely inappropriate. Given his earlier desire to have a matter withdrawn—
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Rattenbury, I will call you to answer the question. If you do not answer the question, I will sit you down. Do you want to answer the question about Spofforth Street?
MR RATTENBURY: I would be delighted to answer the question about Spofforth Street. Spofforth Street, as members will be aware, has been an area of some considerable contention in Belconnen since studies were first undertaken by TAMS-Roads ACT in 2010. In 2010 traffic conditions on Spofforth Street were investigated in response to residents’ complaints about speeding and concerns about the potential increase in traffic volumes as a result of new developments, in particular in west Macgregor.
The investigation showed a very high level of speeding on Spofforth Street, with 85 per cent of surveyed motorists travelling up to 76 kilometres an hour in a 50 kilometre an hour speed zone. So what we can see is that to the 85th percentile there are a large number of vehicles already speeding. What that points to is that another 15 per cent of vehicles were travelling above 76 kilometres per hour in a 50 kilometre per hour zone.
The recommendation at that time was to install traffic calming measures. There has obviously been considerable community feedback since then. TAMS has continued to consult with the community, most recently in April this year when a meeting was held at one of the clubs in Kippax. I actually attended that community consultation session. It was clear, as is the case in other parts of Canberra, that there is a real tension here about the desire of people to have their streets safe, not to have speeding vehicles travelling through their streets, and the desire of some other residents to travel unimpeded through the suburbs.
I find the Spofforth Street one a particularly interesting one because there are, of course, significant major arterial roads going around Holt. Yet motorists seem to
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