Page 1852 - Week 06 - Thursday, 14 May 2015
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Gungahlin commuters in the morning peak period and why he continues to invest in roads around the territory. With more than 1,000 signatures I believe it is clear that duplicating Gundaroo Drive should get underway in this year’s budget.
I am proud to be part of the ACT Labor government that has a long-term plan to make our roads and public transport network more sustainable by maintaining high quality roads, funding an efficient bus system, investing in walking and cycling infrastructure and starting vital work on a light rail network.
While our roads are essential and we must ensure they meet the needs of communities as they grow and change, we cannot keep building more and more roads. For our longer term future, we must start to invest in new forms of transport. A fully integrated public transport system will deliver better options for people commuting across our city, and capital metro will go a long way to addressing some of the congestion issues on our roads.
But we still need to address some of the structural issues with our roads as soon as possible. It is no secret that Gungahlin is the fastest growing area in Australia, and the total population of the region is expected to reach 55,450 by 2019. This means that congestion on our roads will get worse. It is already costing the ACT community more than $100 million each year.
These are some of the issues I have regularly raised with the minister and the directorate as a local Gungahlin member, and I hope I have made it clear that Gungahlin residents would like the ACT government’s budget to address some of these issues.
The duplication of Gundaroo Drive should be a priority, and the first stage of this project should be the duplication between Mirrabei Drive and Gungahlin Drive, a particular bottleneck. This is a vital piece of road infrastructure for the Gungahlin region. With the completion of Majura Parkway, Horse Park Drive in particular will also have heavier use. Design of the duplication of Horse Park Drive also needs to get underway as soon as possible. Of course, the ACT government must deliver a responsible budget and invest evenly across our city and support communities at different times in their development.
Finally, I would like to thank the 1,033 people who signed the petition for their support. As I said in my first speech to the Assembly, I commit to be an MLA who listens, advocates, explains and leads. This is one of the key priorities for the Gungahlin community, and I hope I have done right by them in listening, advocating and leading in the Assembly on this important project.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
The Assembly adjourned at 5.21 pm until Tuesday, 2 June 2015, at 10 am.
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