Page 2741 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 16 September 2014
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neurosurgery suite, the intensive care unit at Calvary hospital, the multistorey car park, an adult mental health unit, with funding now being provided for further staging and decanting at the Canberra Hospital, the Calvary car park, the clinical services and inpatient unit design, the linear accelerator procurement and replacement project, and the adult secure mental health unit. They are the priorities of this government, all $878 million and counting.
Transport—light rail
MS BERRY: My question is to the Minister for Capital Metro. Minister, yesterday you announced that the government has approved the business case for Capital Metro. Can you please detail for the Assembly what this means for the project?
MR CORBELL: I thank Ms Berry for her question and I thank the opposition for their support as well and for their ongoing interest in relation to this project.
Mr Hanson interjecting—
MR CORBELL: The approval of the business case means that the government can now proceed to the procurement stage for the delivery of the first stage of Canberra’s light rail network through a public-private partnership. This will entail the design and construction of the 12-kilometre light rail route from the city centre to the Gungahlin town centre, including stops, the depot, road, signalling, preparatory and other works, the supply of the light rail vehicles themselves, and the financing and ongoing operation and maintenance of the light rail system.
Ultimately, the cost will be determined through the competitive market process. The government has outlined its understanding of the estimated capital delivery cost of $610 million plus $173 million in contingency. This estimate is consistent with the previous estimates of $614 million adjusted for considerations, including installation and risk. We know that there is very strong interest in this project—
Mr Hanson interjecting—
MR CORBELL: strong interest from industry, who are paying close attention to the significant opportunity to reshape this city and deliver better public transport for Canberrans.
Mr Hanson interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Hanson, I warn you.
MR CORBELL: Of course we heard the claims earlier from Mr Coe and others, who said, “Industry will never be interested in this; no-one is going to seriously look at this project.” Those were the claims of the Liberal opposition. There were over 350 industry representatives at the industry briefing yesterday—350 from national and international firms who clearly were interested in this project. They understand its potential for the city, they understand why it is important for our city, and this government is committing and backing better public transport for our city.
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