Page 68 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 25 February 2014
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MR SMYTH: Minister, who is responsible for ensuring any remediation work necessary is undertaken and who pays for that additional cost?
MR RATTENBURY: As part of the contractual arrangements with the road resurfacing companies, there is a warranty period. I believe it is either 12 months or two years, depending on the exact contract. There have certainly been a number of occasions recently where road surfaces have not performed as required, and the contractor is liable for those repairs. The ACT government does not foot the bill if the problem arises in the warranty period. The warranty period is generally considered adequate for any problems that may arise. As I say, it is generally 12 months, or two years on occasions. I am trying to think of a couple of recent examples. Members may recall that the Federal Highway, just before you reach the ACT border, at the top of the hill where it crosses over the Horse Park Drive-Majura Road interchange, had some problems. That area, for example, was covered under warranty.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mr Smyth.
MR SMYTH: Minister, how many other roads across the ACT have been left with further damage as a result of road resurfacing remediation works over, say, the last 12 months?
MR RATTENBURY: Just to be clear, I do not entirely agree with the premise of Mr Smyth’s question, which is that road resurfacing causes further road damage. I do not believe that is the case. The purpose of road resurfacing is to, obviously, maintain the roads and, particularly, to seal them from further water getting in. That is the primary cause of breakdown of road surface—water seeping in through the surface and causing problems further down. The purpose of the resealing is to provide further waterproofing.
That said, if the question is about how many defects there have been in cases where we have had to claim, have the contractors come back and do further works, I will have to check that. I think it is in the single digits, but I will check that and provide an answer to the Assembly.
Transport—light rail
MR GENTLEMAN: My question is to the Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development. Minister, late last year the capital metro light rail project started to take real shape with the appointment of the senior project team. Could you give the Assembly an update on progress with the project since then?
MR CORBELL: I thank Mr Gentleman for his question. It is the case that the government’s commitment to deliver the capital metro light rail project is proceeding well in a timely manner and with a significant increase in activities, particularly over the last six months. I am very pleased to say that the government has since its re-election and its commitment to deliver this project commissioned a range of pieces of work to support the development of the final business case and the approach to market for the delivery of this critical project, a project that is going to assist the city to meet
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