Page 1240 - Week 04 - Thursday, 26 March 2015
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Our target of releasing a fifty-fifty mix of greenfield and urban renewal land will assist in making our city more compact and efficient in identified areas and also provide a wider range of houses, including more affordable housing. So renewing our town centres will bring new housing types to Canberra, create new public space and, crucially, new space for business to grow and flourish.
Ultimately, urban renewal will improve our livability by making the most of our community assets, creating high quality public spaces for communities to grow and diverse suburbs that promote health, happiness and wellbeing. It is no surprise that this is the happiest, healthiest and longest-living community in Australia. We are the best place in this country and indeed in the world to live and that is something we should all be proud of.
Urban renewal at the centre of my government’s efforts to help this city go beyond even this outstanding achievement is something that I am pleased at least Ms Lawder can see is important for this city and for our future. So thank you, Ms Lawder, for getting on board with the government’s agenda. We very much look forward to your support on crucial issues that this Assembly will need to make decisions on in the coming months that will certainly enhance a genuine urban renewal agenda for Canberra. And we will know just how genuine Ms Lawder is if she is prepared to cross the floor and vote with the government on some of the important measures that will be before this chamber in the coming months, the University of Canberra amendment bills and the opportunity to significantly grow higher education in this city being one example. But housing renewal is another.
Mr Hanson: The member for Brindabella can already see the benefit of light rail.
MR BARR: I am sure Ms Lawder’s constituents would appreciate not having to compete with another 25,000 cars coming from Gungahlin, merging on to Parkes Way, and certainly as Gungahlin grows, with 50,000 new residents—
Members interjecting—
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Sit down, Mr Barr. Stop the clock. Mr Coe, Mr Hanson, I am calling you to order. Continually interrupting a member while they are speaking is disorderly. Thank you, Mr Barr.
MR BARR: Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. As I was saying, as Gungahlin grows, with another 50,000 new residents over the coming decades, it is quite reasonable to assume that there will be at least 25,000 new cars on the road and they will be competing with people coming from Tuggeranong to get into the city, they will be competing for space on Parkes Way, they will be competing for car parking spots in the city. Surely it is to the benefit of everyone if there are fewer cars coming down from the north into the CBD. That will help residents south of the lake get easier access to the city, with the additional bus services that will be provided.
There is plenty in the government’s urban renewal agenda for Tuggeranong residents and we look forward to that conversation and the delivery of these urban renewal
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