Page 3573 - Week 11 - Thursday, 23 October 2014
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MR RATTENBURY: I will take the details on behalf of the Chief Minister as this does fall within the TAMS portfolio. I am actually very pleased that Mr Coe asked this question because it provides an opportunity to correct a number of factual inaccuracies that have been put forward by Mr Coe.
Twenty-four lights have been removed, and 19 new lights are being installed at that location. This has been done because the lights are faulty. There are problems with the electrical wiring. The advice that I have from TAMS is that the decaying electrical cables are a public safety issue. It is not a matter of government agencies not talking to each other. This is actually a direct safety issue that needs to be addressed in the immediate term, and that is why TAMS have moved on it.
I notice that Mr Coe, as his enthusiasm has grown for this story, has lessened the amount of time that these lights will continue to stand there. His latest press release actually said that they will be taken out in less than 12 months. Less than 12 months was the accusation in Mr Coe’s press release.
What I can assure Mr Coe is that I have double-checked this and the advice between both TAMS and the Capital Metro Agency is that this area will not see construction for capital metro until early 2017 at the earliest. Those lights have at least 2½ years of useful life. The interesting part is that if the government did not replace these lights I can almost guarantee Mr Coe would put out a press release damning the government for not addressing issues of public safety.
The other thing I will add to this is that the poles are being inserted on bases such as they are—
Mr Coe interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Order, Mr Coe! I cannot hear Mr Rattenbury.
MR RATTENBURY: They are temporarily being put in place so that they can be removed at a later point in time and reused. A great deal of thought was put into this to minimise the amount of duplicative work that needs to be done whilst addressing the important public safety issue that needs to be tackled by TAMS in a timely manner.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Smyth.
MR SMYTH: This is to whichever minister wants to answer. Ministers, how many other instances are there where redundant, wasteful infrastructure upgrades, such as the $114,000 spent on the lighting infrastructure, are taking place along the light rail alignment that will need to be ripped up?
MR RATTENBURY: I reject the premise of Mr Smyth’s question that redundant work is being done. As I outlined in my previous answer, this is work that needs to be done. As I said previously, the Canberra Liberal Party would no doubt be criticising the government if we were not addressing the safety issue that needs to be addressed.
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