Page 197 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 11 February 2015
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afternoon and for raising, once again, the range of important infrastructure investments the government has undertaken and, indeed, plans to undertake for the people of Gungahlin.
I think it is fair to say that when Canberrans think about Gungahlin, what they consider first is the vibrancy of the area and its sense of newness. In many ways, that is an understandable impression. Gungahlin is our city’s fastest growing area, and it has been for some time. It is home to almost 50,000 people now. Within six years that number will be 72,000.
I think most people who live in Gungahlin would agree with me that the real essence of Gungahlin is its sense of place. Gungahlin was first gazetted in the 1960s. In half a century, it has grown its own identity and it has grown its own community. These communities do not grow in a void. They need infrastructure to take root and flourish. Schools, roads, healthcare facilities, sporting facilities, parks and community facilities deliver a Canberra quality of life but also provide space for individuals and families to come together, to interact and to form the unique combination that gives each of our town centres, particularly Gungahlin, its distinctive identity.
My government, and the Labor governments which have preceded us, are and have been firmly committed to making sure that Gungahlin has the infrastructure it needs and deserves. A growing community needs good transport options to help people move about and to reach all of the wonderful experiences that our city has to offer.
In the last budget alone, this Labor government invested nearly $52 million in local Gungahlin road initiatives to help make sure that people in Gungahlin have the even better road network that they need.
But transport is about more than roads. We recognise that good public transport is a crucial part of making sure that everyone is included in our communities and that everyone has the opportunity to get to work and to access services. Last year the government completed the Gungahlin town centre bus facilities project upgrade, which included a $3.3 million project to upgrade public transport around the town centre. This has included a new major bus station, new stops, seating, shelter and real-time bus information displays. As others have observed in this debate, there are also new ACTION bus services, including the 202, a non-stop route to the city, and the 250 direct service to the Belconnen town centre.
Of course, the government is committed to and will invest in building Canberra’s first light rail line. This is a crucial piece of infrastructure which will help Gungahlin to continue to grow but, importantly, will also help shape that growth. Fast, reliable capital metro services will mean that the light rail travel time from Gungahlin to the city will be just 25 minutes, making sure that people in Gungahlin have convenient access to Canberra’s heart.
The government is and remains committed to making sure that people in Gungahlin have easy access to Canberra’s main areas of employment. There are a number of transport projects underway—consisting of many hundreds of millions of dollars, Mr Coe—that are assisting a variety of different transport modes to ensure that people in Gungahlin have access, and easy access, to Canberra’s main areas of employment.
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