Page 2703 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 16 September 2014
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deliver excellent urban design that befits the system’s prominent location in the primary gateway to the nation’s capital. It must support our community by engaging local industry, creating jobs, supporting local industry and minimising disruption. And it must achieve value, through ensuring innovation is used to deliver the best outcomes for the territory at an affordable price.
The government is not delivering this project in isolation or on its own. We are delivering it through a consultative and responsible approach, ensuring we have sought out well-qualified and experienced consultants and staff to guide and develop the project, commissioning world leaders in infrastructure and economic analysis to design and develop the business case for the project.
We have recently closed a six-week community consultation on the early design to ensure we fully understand the community’s needs and expectations for this project. I would like to briefly summarise the outcomes of that consultation process to date.
Over the past few months Capital Metro Agency has been seeking feedback from the community on the design features of this project. The dedicated six-week consultation period included activities such as a pop-up information centre on Mort Street at the city bus interchange; community information sessions at Gungahlin, Dickson, Erindale and Tuggeranong; and direct mailing, with a letterbox drop to 17,000 residents within the corridor and direct email to over 20,000 Canberra Connect registered residents; the establishment of a dedicated “engagement hub” on the capital metro website; an online survey to seek feedback on specific aspects of the project’s design; a stakeholder deliberative forum, with representatives including industry, social services, businesses, universities, special interest groups such as the Blind Society, the Heart Foundation and Pedal Power, and community groups; presentations and workshops with stakeholders and community councils; media and print advertising to encourage public participation; a rigorous social media program; and the creation of over 30 short online films to help people understand the key aspects of and reasons for the project. The Capital Metro Agency recorded over 16,500 interactions with the public, with people seeking information online, completing surveys and taking part in face-to-face discussion.
This consultation will inform other areas of government activity, including our planning for Northbourne Avenue and the light rail master plan.
The community gave the strong message that the light rail service should be safe, be easily accessible and interact effectively with other modes of transport, including cycling, cars and the ACTION bus network. There were questions from the community about how much it will cost to travel on the light rail and what the timetable, routes and stops will be.
Reflecting Canberra’s strong cycling culture, there was a keen interest in being able to travel with bicycles or ensure their safe storage. Responses to the online survey indicated that 44 per cent would take a bicycle on the light rail, with 25 per cent suggesting they would take a bike on the light rail every day. Further in-depth engagement with cycle groups highlighted the importance of planning for the bicycle,
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