Page 3783 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 29 October 2014
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MR COE (Ginninderra) (4.07): First I would like to thank the minister and the Chief Minister for their input to this discussion and note that I think it has been a worthy debate that has taken place here.
However, unfortunately, the opposition will not be supporting the amendment as neither the minister nor the Chief Minister has actually detailed what the traffic assessment is. It might be useful if the minister were to come back here later today with, or provide it offline perhaps, any information which suggests that the traffic assessment shows that Fairbairn Avenue is expected to function adequately.
In the absence of that, what the opposition does have is the SMEC Fairbairn Avenue duplication traffic modelling study, which suggests there are going to be significant issues on and around Fairbairn Avenue following the construction of Majura parkway. In actual fact we are not necessarily talking about the complete construction of Majura parkway, simply the first stage of Majura parkway; when that opens we will see pressure taking place on Fairbairn Avenue.
It is a bit of a worry that in 2010, when the funding was awarded for this project, Minister Rattenbury said that Morshead Drive was considered and that it was not an option to put an exit onto Morshead Drive from Majura parkway. That demonstrates that in 2010 there was an identified need to have better links from Majura parkway travelling westbound. So there was a need; however, for one reason or another, the off-ramp from Majura parkway on to Morshead Drive could not be done.
I am surprised that here we are, four years on, and the government still has not mitigated the loss of that off-ramp and the fact that that off-ramp was unable to be built. I appreciate that it has a working group to address these issues and perhaps other issues. However, we are now four years on from when the money was awarded. For how much longer is this working group going to function before we get a tangible upgrade to the roads surrounding the Majura parkway, the airport and surrounds?
Further to that, Mr Rattenbury said that the only way into the city will not be to turn right onto Fairbairn but also to be able to turn left onto Fairbairn and then to turn right onto Morshead Drive at the intersection with Pialligo Avenue. I am concerned that potentially that could congest the area even further. If it is not clear that the best way to travel is to turn right down Fairbairn, what we could see is a fair bit more congestion at that junction, which also will, in part, incorporate traffic from the south, whether it be from Tuggeranong or parts of Woden and the inner south, and also Jerrabomberra and Queanbeyan.
Regardless of whether motorists turn right into Fairbairn or turn left into Fairbairn Avenue and then turn right on to Morshead, we are going to see a huge bottleneck. I do not think that will be good for business in Canberra. It will not be good for productivity. It will not be good for people trying to travel in and out of the territory, or for surrounding businesses, agencies and the airport.
The Chief Minister said that they have clear strategies in place. That is exactly what my motion is calling for. I would like them to detail what the strategy to address this
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