Page 2835 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 17 September 2014
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parking can produce much higher levels of retail spend than the same space devoted to car parking; many car-borne shoppers are drive-through shoppers, stopping to pick up one item on the way to their eventual destination, rather than people for whom shopping is their main purpose for visiting the area; it is difficult to estimate the value of non-drive-in spend for main streets—however, it is always bigger than we think—and, finally, retail vitality would be best served by traffic restraint, public transport improvements and a range of measures to improve the walking and cycling environment.
That was a very interesting piece of work from the Heart Foundation. It really looked at the evidence of what assists with improving urban vitality. We know from the experience of other cities that the debate about vehicle and pedestrian access to city centres is not all or nothing. We understand that there is a place for the private vehicle in our city, but the government needs to create an urban environment that suits the needs of its people.
The best way to revitalise the city centre is to create places that encourage walking, cycling and strolling. Light rail will provide a fast and convenient way for Canberrans to access the city centre. The shareway will help create an environment where those people will stay and linger. I was interested to see in Mr Coe’s motion the need for better transport infrastructure. I can reassure Mr Coe that that is exactly the intent of light rail.
Mr Coe interjecting—
MR RATTENBURY: Members, in the next two years, essentially, that we have left to go in this place I will be interested to see if we can conduct a single debate in this place without mention of light rail. Our friends across the way will have an endless pot of money to spend on whatever they like, if we do not do light rail. I must start a tally on that. I am sure it is going to go well beyond the likely price tag of light rail. It is now the pot of gold for everything they want to spend on. I will be interested to see if we can conduct a single debate without somebody needing to bring it into the discussion. It is certainly popular when it comes to the debates in this place.
There is a possibility that when light rail extends from the proposed station on Northbourne Avenue and Alinga Street it may go through the city centre. That will have a profound impact on the way that pedestrians, cars and cyclists use and access the city centre, including City Walk and Garema Place. The government has indicated that it is canvassing the option of extending light rail through to Constitution Avenue and Russell. It is certainly something that the capital metro team are having a look at. How that passes through the city is an important part of that consideration. For example, whether it might pass through City Walk is an interesting consideration. My own experience of living in the Netherlands, where trams pass through the pedestrian areas, is that they are very compatible. It will be interesting to see what the study looking at that produces.
When it comes to revitalising the city, I think we have much to do. I must congratulate Canberra CBD Ltd on their very considerable efforts and partnership with government in bringing things to the city space. Things like skate in the city and
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