Page 414 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 17 February 2015
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I am very happy to have this debate in this chamber every single day. The values of this party—the Labor Party, this government—have stood the test of time. They are enduring values that the Labor movement keeps close to its heart and that guide us in making the right decisions for this community. We will always be the party of jobs. We will always be the party of social inclusion and equality. We will always be the party of growth for this city. It stands in marked contrast to what we see opposite. This afternoon, they have descended even further into the gutter.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo—Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Minister for Justice, Minister for Sport and Recreation and Minister assisting the Chief Minister on Transport Reform) (4.02): I rise today to speak to the matter brought forward by Mr Coe and to focus on some of the issues about real costs as opposed to some of the superficial arguments that Mr Coe put forward today. I thought I would particularly start with transport, which was an area that Mr Coe did focus on in his remarks. Transport costs are now the second highest costs for a Canberra household primarily because of the costs associated with owning and running cars. Providing quality public transport and, of course, starting to plan our city more around public transport is a way to alleviate these economic stresses that are placed on Canberra households.
The approximate average time a resident of Canberra has to work in order to pay for a car is 550 hours a year, or 1½ hours every day. This puts a very real perspective on these costs. For governments and members of this place, it underlines the fact that we need to make sure we are giving people an alternative to being locked into that level of work over a period.
A recent study also found that if an average family were able to run one less car in their household, over a 25-year period the household could accumulate more than an additional $1 million in superannuation over their working life, repay a $300,000 housing loan in 12 years instead of 25 years, saving $245,000 in interest payments, or purchase a home which is $110,000 more expensive than they would otherwise be able to at the outset. That study also concluded that governments can assist low income families through planning and infrastructure investment. This is a strategy that would create cities that are both more sustainable and more equitable. Ignoring these real cost issues simply comes at the expense of Canberrans now and into the future.
Independent research conducted at the end of 2013 looked at capital cities and potential for savings for workers in the CBD if they were to travel via public transport instead of driving. By leaving their car at home and travelling by public transport to work five days a week, the average commuter travelling to work in the Canberra CBD would save $3,516 annually. This varies depending on what type of car the person uses and the distance they commute, from five to 25 kilometres, and the savings range between $2,429 and $5,449, depending on how one adjusts those variables.
The average savings a commuter can achieve by not owning a car at all or not purchasing a second car and commuting by public transport is $7,348 annually. Again, that ranges from $3,140 to $15,367. If a Canberra commuter chooses to catch a taxi occasionally, he or she would expect to pay at least $27 to travel 15 kilometres one
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