Page 217 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 11 February 2015
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been fixed. Roads could have been swept. Potholes could have been mended and grass could have been mown. This government cannot cut the grass but it can cut the trees. It shows just how wrong its priorities are and how hypocritical this government can be.
Canberrans rightly take pride in their tree-lined median of Northbourne Avenue. I am not saying that we need to lock up every tree in Canberra, nor am I saying we need to lock up every tree along Northbourne Avenue. But we need to make sure there is a compelling case, a compelling case, for why we need to chop down hundreds of trees which form an integral part of the gateway to Canberra and, indeed, the integrity of the bush capital.
It is the first real glimpse of Canberra that people get. The trees do, at the moment, make for quite an impressive entrance into the city. I do not think anyone could argue with that. Certainly, these trees do not need to be chopped down for a light rail service that will carry one per cent of Canberrans to and from work in the morning.
Let me repeat the facts about light rail: an $800 million capital cost, a $100 million annual availability payment, a $23 million operational cost, one per cent of Canberrans to use the system in the morning and zero trees on Northbourne Avenue. All we will get is some grass—some native grasses. That is meant to be the little bit of sugar for the good people of Canberra. Do not worry; you will get some native grasses.
This is a dodgy proposition and it has, of course, been criticised by many people. As has long been known, the only way for this government to build light rail is to chop down almost every tree on Northbourne Avenue. The government admits this in the full business case. The business case contemplates:
Approximately 350 existing trees most likely to be removed due to light rail construction.
It contemplates 350 trees. That is Mr Rattenbury’s legacy—chopping down 350 trees. Just imagine, Madam Speaker, if somebody else in this place proposed chopping down 350 trees somewhere else. Imagine if somebody proposed to go to Black Mountain Peninsula and chop down 350 trees. Imagine if somebody said they were going to go to a nature reserve and chop down 350 trees.
Mr Corbell interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Order, Mr Corbell!
MR COE: Imagine if someone said, “We are going to go to the residential streets in Dickson, Braddon, Lyneham or O’Connor and chop down 350 trees.” Mr Rattenbury would be chaining himself to those trees. Instead, he has got the chainsaw. He has got the chainsaw.
Is this something that past members would have supported? Is this something that Dr Foskey would have supported? Is this something that Ms Tucker would have supported? Is this something that Ms Horodny would have supported? Is it something
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