Page 2058 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 6 August 2014
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roads, the local shops and other local infrastructure. These residents will be travelling on the already congested roads in Yarralumla and Deakin, and of course they will want to go to the local shops. Any new development will put pressure on the current infrastructure in the suburb. However, with careful planning the government could minimise the negative impact of a new development. Careful consideration of the impact of the proposed development is conspicuously absent from the government’s strategy.
In order for the development to be a success, it needs to be supported by appropriate infrastructure. Road access to the development must be designed so that the new residents do not find it impossible to get around or out of their suburb. No-one wants to be stuck in a bottleneck trying to get out of their suburb onto the main road. Access to Adelaide Avenue from Yarralumla and west Deakin is already difficult on weekday mornings. Kent Street is becoming congested, and Dudley and Novar streets are already heavily congested. There is no way that an increase of a couple of thousand more vehicles will be absorbed by the current infrastructure. A significant increase in the amount of traffic on these roads will be dangerous unless something is done.
If the government were serious about developing this area well, they would ensure the appropriate road infrastructure was in place and part of the strategy. The importance of upgrading road infrastructure was emphasised in the December 2013 SMEC Canberra brickworks and environs options evaluation report. The update said: “Ultimately, the construction of the Cotter Road-Adelaide Avenue interchange should be considered to be necessary to support the viability of the development, by diverting through traffic away from local streets.”
Mr Barr’s amendment is in contradiction of this expert advice. Despite the update saying that the Cotter Road-Adelaide Avenue interchange is necessary for the success of the development, the interchange has been removed from the government’s plan. So before community consultation was even over, the government made changes to the strategy that will make it unworkable. Before going any further with the project, the government must seriously consider how the increased traffic will be managed. Doing nothing is not an option. The government continues to provide an example of how not to consult with the community on such projects.
Developments such as this are always controversial, and community members on all sides of the debate are passionate. It is not possible to please everyone, but everyone should have an opportunity to get the facts and have their voice heard. If this development is as good as the government claims, it will stand up to rigorous community scrutiny.
Good governments are not scared of community consultation. They do not hide away from the community they allegedly represent. Instead, they are open and give community members the opportunity to evaluate proposals and provide feedback. After the community has provided feedback, the government should take the suggestions into consideration and develop a plan that improves the area rather than creates more problems.
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