Page 2939 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 13 August 2013
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When we come back some years from now—and ACTION’s supplement is what, what is the subsidy for ACTION? Well over $100 million, $111 million—what will be the supplementation on the capital metro project? We are being asked to sign up, but we are given none of the detail and we are certainly not being allowed to know what it is likely to cost in the future. And that is just ridiculous.
Recommendation 103 is:
The Committee recommends that the ACT Government detail how much rates and land tax will increase on the Capital Metro route.
The government’s response is:
Noted.
Total revenue from rates and land tax will increase, over time, in line with the increase in the number of properties in the corridor. Land tax will also increase in line with any increase in the value of the property. Detailed analysis of likely rates and land tax returns from properties directly affected by the Capital Metro is a key element of the project.
If it is a key element of the project, why cannot we know? If there is a case that this is good for the ACT and we have got an uplift then why cannot we know? It is curious that, during the estimates process, the specialist adviser offered to do some work on the uplift. We asked for approval to do that and the members of the government, Mr Gentleman and Dr Bourke, voted against it. They did not want extra work done on capital metro because the specialist adviser to the committee, in discussions with me, said, “They never get the uplift they predict.” So we had an opportunity to validate that statement but, of course, the members of the government who are hogtied by the government’s commitment to capital metro, no matter what the cost, of course did not want that information.
So there we go. Transparency, participation, collaboration—that is the new era, except it does not apply to anything. They are just words that come from the Chief Minister that none of her members or her ministers will back up. So there we have it. “We know that the rates are going up, but we are not going to tell you.” Why will you not tell us? Why not? What happened to this new era of collaboration? It does not exist.
Recommendation 104 is:
The Committee recommends that the ACT Government make publicly available maps detailing the areas of expected greater density along the route of the Capital Metro.
The response is:
Agreed.
The Territory Plan identifies current land use zoning for land along the corridor. These existing policies identify provisions for increasing density of development.
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