Page 3846 - Week 12 - Thursday, 24 October 2013
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MR COE: I think this is only the second time I have ever won an MPI despite putting in many bids alongside my colleagues. There seems to be a—
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Is this a reason for amusement, Mr Coe?
MR COE: That is right; there seems to be quite a disconnect between a number of adjournment speeches and my MPI speeches. All the same, I am delighted to be speaking today on road safety.
The opposition, the Canberra Liberals, are unashamedly in favour of the investment in, and upgrade and expansion of, the territory’s road network. We, unlike some of those opposite, do not see cars as a symbol of capitalist oppression or as evil polluters. We see cars and other forms of motorised transport as a necessity for many Canberrans. They provide opportunity, freedom and independence for hundreds of thousands of Canberrans.
Whilst all of this may seem a little melodramatic, the fact is that there are people with extreme views that want to actively limit the role that cars play in our community. The fact is that Canberra was designed for vehicle traffic, and one need only look at Walter Burley Griffin’s plans of 100 years ago to see how he envisaged vehicles to travel on the avenues, streets and lanes of Canberra. In fact, the report attached to his drawings stipulated the width of roads that were “sufficient to allow through traffic between stationary vehicles”. The ACT was always intended to have wide roads that served Canberrans to get around the capital.
Whilst drivers, riders and cyclists do need to take on the responsibility of using the roads appropriately, there is no doubt that the design of road infrastructure does play a significant role in the safety of the roads. Roads are often built with wire rope barriers, guards and other treatments to minimise the damage caused by inevitable accidents. I think it is fair to say that when we have seen significant improvements in road safety, it has not necessarily been due to better driving; it has largely been due to technology and legislative improvements. The criminalisation of drink-driving, the development and implementation of mandatory seatbelts, airbags and other technological improvements have all played a role in improving road safety.
As Mrs Jones and Ms Lawder articulated yesterday, there are many places in the ACT where the road infrastructure could be improved. The sites in Gungahlin and Wanniassa which were discussed yesterday were prime examples where the government has a role in ensuring that the road design is conducive to safe travelling.
However, there are many other sites across Canberra that are in need of government action, in one form or another. I have spoken in this place before about the ongoing problems in Holt and west Belconnen. In fact, I recently moved a motion in this place calling on the government to abandon their changes in the suburb, which arguably have made the situation worse. By installing 13 speed humps along Spofforth Street, traffic was diverted from that road onto more dangerous roads such as Beaurepaire Crescent, Messenger Street and Trickett Street.
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