Page 1769 - Week 06 - Thursday, 14 May 2015
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Resealing and resurfacing are just part of the ongoing work to keep our roads up to the standards we are accustomed to; however, it is a cost of our road system. It is work less appreciated than an exciting new road, but it is part of the wear and tear of Canberrans getting around our city and part of our overall mix of transport costs. In Belconnen, current or recent works include the College Street reseal, the Ginninderra Drive reseal in Charnwood, the Kerrigan Street reseal in Charnwood, isolated localised reseals on some streets within Belconnen town centre and Florey, the Lhotsky Street roundabout overlay in Charnwood, Emu Bank overlays, the Kingsford Smith Drive overlays in Scullin and Hawker, and the resurfacing on Haydon Drive in Bruce.
These examples show the seriousness of maintaining our transport corridors, improving them and thinking beyond what has been done before—just rolling out more asphalt to cope with future demand. Innovative solutions to getting Canberrans around a modern metropolis are required, like more roads, more traffic lights, more buses, and more car parks for Mr Coe’s Audis. New solutions to congestion, such as light rail, also have a cost, but they have a benefit in moving Canberrans and our city forward.
MS FITZHARRIS (Molonglo) (10.23): I thank the Minister for Roads and Parking for his update this morning. As he said, an integrated transport system must cater for all modes of travel. The ACT is investing in public transport, including light rail, but we must also continue to invest in a better road network which caters for cars, buses, cyclists, pedestrians and freight. As a Gungahlin resident and representative, I know how important it is to invest in our road network here in the ACT. In Gungahlin, rapid population growth is undeniable, with an increase from just over 300 people to over 50,000 in the past 25 years. This growth must be directed by a vision that includes high quality transport connections throughout the whole of Canberra.
As Minister Gentleman has said, the Majura Parkway is a vitally important road project that will deliver 11.5 kilometres of dual carriageway connecting the Federal Highway through to the Monaro Highway. This will be accompanied by another investment to upgrade the intersection of the Federal Highway and Majura Road, which will become the connection to the Majura Parkway. This will benefit the people of Gungahlin and, indeed, the whole Canberra community.
The Majura Parkway project was funded in 2011 by the commonwealth and ACT governments and will create significant long-term economic, social and environmental benefits. It will provide improved access to Canberra Airport, take pressure off residential streets and main road corridors, and make our roads safer. It will relieve traffic congestion and provide better access across the Majura Valley, enable better movement of traffic from the north to the south side of Canberra, and provide other important benefits like better fuel consumption and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
I have driven past and along parts of the Majura Parkway project many times, and each time you can really see the progress being made on this significant $288 million project. The new developments at Majura Park, including the much anticipated IKEA,
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