Page 1733 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 4 June 2014
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MR COE: Minister, can you confirm that the rapid business case suggests to the government that the Gungahlin to city route is not feasible and that the government should look at building only the EPIC to the city route?
MR CORBELL: I refer Mr Coe to my previous answer. I would add that the government’s commitment in relation to this project is very clear. The development of the Gungahlin to the city corridor is an election commitment of the government, an election commitment of the Labor Party and a subsequent agreement between the Labor Party and the Greens, as reflected in the parliamentary agreement. This route is being developed and will be delivered through the Capital Metro Agency.
MR SMYTH: Supplementary.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mr Smyth.
MR SMYTH: Minister, can you confirm that the rapid business case suggests that public transport usage from Gungahlin to the city would have to quadruple in order to achieve the desired level of patronage?
MR CORBELL: I refer Mr Smyth to my previous answer.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Smyth.
MR SMYTH: Minister, how can you provide over $43 million in this budget to a project which deliberately favours one area of Canberra over another but which all Canberrans, through their increased rates, will have to pay for?
MR CORBELL: It is no different from investing in a public hospital that predominantly provides services to people who live on the north side of Canberra. It is no different to investing in a road that services people who live in the district of Gungahlin. The development of these pieces of infrastructure, whether they are roads, whether they are rail, whether they are hospitals or whether they are schools, are funded through the budget as a whole and contributed to by rate payers as a whole.
The suggestion would appear to be that, unless you are able to utilise that piece of infrastructure on a daily basis, you should not be asked to pay for it. Well, that is not the way infrastructure is developed or financed in any jurisdiction anywhere in the world.
Budget—proposed sale of street lights
MR SMYTH: My question is to the Treasurer. The budget papers note that the government’s infrastructure investment program will be supported by the sale of existing assets, which may also include street lights. What is the anticipated value of this initiative?
MR BARR: It will be subject to interest in the commercial market.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Smyth.
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