Page 4218 - Week 13 - Thursday, 27 November 2014
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Today I have spoken about the scope, economic benefits and stimulatory nature of the capital program. Clearly this is not the only reason we deliver infrastructure. The reason we have the program is to ensure that all people in Canberra receive the best possible government services. Investing in infrastructure to provide better health and wellbeing outcomes and provide facilities to enable educational achievements are some of the most important and effective measures that can be taken in improving the community’s overall quality of life and productivity.
The government is actively building on previous work to transform and modernise our health and educational systems. Working hand in hand with this investment is the government’s continued focus on the importance of preventive measures. These include a range of sport and recreational infrastructure that will help to promote active lives and social participation.
The health infrastructure program is the single largest capital works project undertaken in the history of the territory since self-government and involves the overhaul and expansion of all aspects of the ACT health system. It addresses some immediate demands on the health sector in the ACT and others which will emerge in the future. New 2014-15 construction activities within the health infrastructure program include the secure mental health unit at Symonston, the University of Canberra public hospital that I was talking about before, the Calvary car park and the Canberra Hospital redevelopment projects. As I said previously, the government is also making significant investment in transformative infrastructure that will shape Canberra, provide vital services and provide valuable economic stimulus and jobs.
As everyone here knows, in both the 2013-14 and 2014-15 budgets, the government committed funds to progress the development of capital metro and, to be clear, this includes preliminary design studies and funding to develop a business case to investment-ready stage. Recently, in September 2014, the government approved the business case for the first stage of the Canberra light rail network, which will be delivered as a public-private partnership. Expressions of interest documentation was released on Friday, 31 October 2014 as the first step in the procurement process. Construction is expected to commence in 2016 and the light rail to operate by 2020. It will transform the city by revitalising the Northbourne Avenue corridor, stimulate sustainable urban renewal, help develop a more diversified economy and increase the mode share of public transport by offering alternative and convenient means of public transport.
As we heard from Mr Corbell in answers to questions this week, the project is estimated to support more than 3,500 jobs during construction and, when completed, will reduce congestion along Canberra’s busiest corridor and encourage sustainable urban development along this corridor. Obviously this kills two birds with one stone, as it were.
I reiterate that the government made allowance for a record level of capital investment across the next four years of $2.5 billion. This is a very important figure that we should not forget. This investment in major infrastructure is setting the foundation for improving productivity and addressing the shifting needs of our community, as I said,
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