Page 2008 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 3 June 2015
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There is only one way to avoid that future for this city, and that is to invest now in transport infrastructure ahead of this inevitable future of increased population for our city. Let us invest now in transport infrastructure, the infrastructure our city will need as it grows. That certainly means an integrated response to transport infrastructure investment. It means light rail. It means buses. It means demand-responsive transport. It means additional walking, cycling and active transport options. It means investment in road infrastructure as well. It is the full range, a complete holistic approach to transport reform in this city. It means updating the road network to make sure it meets our city’s needs, and that is exactly what this budget delivers right across the city.
As the Minister for Roads and Parking has outlined in previous contributions today and last week, in Tuggeranong we are investing $25 million in the duplication of Ashley Drive to reduce congestion, delays and queuing. This duplication doubles the capacity on a key stretch of the road to cater for new transport-related developments planned for the Erindale group centre into the future.
In Gungahlin the government will invest $31.1 million to duplicate Gundaroo Drive from Gungahlin Drive to Mirrabei Drive-Anthony Rolfe Avenue. Gungahlin is one of the fastest growing areas in Australia and it will be a growing area in Canberra for some time to come. This duplication will help make sure that Gundaroo Drive remains safe and keeps congestion low as it does so.
On this side of the chamber we know that keeping our city accessible for all is about more than just cars; it is about more than light rail too. It is about making sure our transport system caters for everyone—cars, cyclists, freight, pedestrians. That is why we are spending $700,000 on a range of bridge-strengthening projects along the Monaro Highway to provide a direct freight route into Canberra. Just as importantly, it is why we are investing $23 million into our active transport network to integrate our walking, cycling and road infrastructure. There is a range of shared walking and cycling paths to be supported in the budget, including one through Bowen park to connect to the Kingston foreshore to make it easier to ride one of the great cycle loops in this country, if not the world, around Lake Burley Griffin.
We are designing and constructing new crossings on the busy Sullivans Creek cyclepath. We are upgrading the path connection between the Woden town park and the Canberra Hospital. Our city has amongst the country’s best walking and cycling paths. This government will continue to invest to make sure that Canberrans can enjoy what our city has to offer.
In my acceptance speech as Chief Minister in this place, I made some very clear statements about our government’s commitment to each of Canberra’s suburbs. We know that each of our suburbs has its own character. The government values each of these suburbs. We have just as much pride in them as the residents of each of those suburbs.
Yesterday’s budget provides extra funding to make sure the look and feel of our suburbs matches that pride. We are providing extra mowing capacity so that our parks and roads get an extra mow when they need them. We are providing a rolling program
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