Page 4219 - Week 13 - Thursday, 27 November 2014
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as we look to diversify our economic base, attract investment, provide services for a growing population, boost economic growth and create employment, importantly, for this region. It is for these reasons that we have embarked on a strong infrastructure program.
MR COE (Ginninderra) (3.58): The opposition welcomes this opportunity to talk about infrastructure delivery in the ACT. It is interesting that, whenever I get up to talk about light rail, the ACT government says that I keep repeating myself, yet here we are with the government voluntarily bringing up this matter of public importance, one that I will happily discuss.
This government have a poor track record when it comes to delivering infrastructure. The key pillar in this argument is the Gungahlin Drive extension, a project that the government came to kicking and screaming. Reluctantly they committed to it. Instead of doing it all in one go at the start for $52 million, they did it in stage 1. Only after the Liberals committed to duplicating it did they commit to duplicating it. And we know that it came to a $200 million bill rather than the original $52 million bill which was projected.
We believe that infrastructure is about the future and about productivity. It is for that reason that we have to get it right. All infrastructure has a lasting legacy; therefore the evidence behind the decisions we make is just so important.
This government has committed to the biggest infrastructure project in the ACT’s history: the capital metro light rail project. To put it in comparison, the Cotter Dam ended up costing about $410 million, the GDE was about $200 million and the Majura parkway is about $288 million. The project that we are discussing so much in this place, a project that we want to discuss in this place, is in the vicinity of $800 million, and that is before we even factor in the interest bill.
I find it interesting that, despite the community outrage, despite the letters to the editor every single day on light rail, despite all the emails that members of this place will be getting from constituents who are expressing concern about light rail, despite the very considered opinion pieces written for the Canberra Times and other newspapers, and despite the commentary of Infrastructure Australia, the Centre for International Economics, the Productivity Commission and others, nobody opposite seems to be asking the obvious questions. Is there no single MLA opposite who is concerned about the cost of capital metro? Is there a single MLA opposite who is concerned about the poor patronage projections? Is there a single MLA opposite who is concerned about the operating cost, the interest liability and the risk that we will be taking on?
Further to that, are there public servants who are asking: “How much will it cost? What are the benefits? Why is the BCR so low?” I expect there are public servants who are asking these questions. I hope the ACT government has a culture whereby people can freely ask these questions within the public service. I said yesterday that I very much respect the role of public servants in the ACT, and I respect the role of the public servants in the Capital Metro Agency. I respect what they are doing for cabinet,
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