Page 2625 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 11 August 2015
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I would like to speak about the peak oil strategy which was funded in this budget. The ACT is taking a lead role in clean energy. I am committed to ensuring that the ACT is thinking strategically about its response to peak oil, particularly in the context of transport reform. During 2015-16 I have asked the Territory and Municipal Services Directorate to progress with the Chief Minister’s directorate a cross-government scenario planning exercise to examine how well prepared we are in government for a more challenging energy future. This will be part of a peak oil strategy or energy security strategy.
When it comes to the corridor efficiency trial, as I have said, we cannot continue to expand road capacity indefinitely. Cities across the world are investing in new technology to enable and to make best use of their existing road networks, both through clever traffic signal systems and, more importantly, by providing up-to-date information to road network users on traffic conditions and delays on the road network. This is an issue that can now be progressed through this budget with funding to conduct a corridor efficiency study. This is likely to involve the use of cameras and live message signs to improve the use of our existing road network and mitigate the need for expansions.
I have spoken already about the integration of ACTION and capital metro. TAMS are working very closely with capital metro to ensure the best possible integration with light rail, including interchange locations, service and timetable integration, revenue protection and incident management planning. Funding through the budget will allow TAMS to conduct detailed timetable integration work for buses and light rail to ensure that the two modes are integrated and convenient.
Lastly, I mention the work being done on street design guidelines. The design of new suburbs and places where people live continues to evolve as city values change. Many cities provide regular updated guidance to the development industry about the sorts of innovation in street design that may be acceptable to government. I have asked TAMS to work with EPD to develop more guidance in this space, with the ultimate intention of including a new planning document in the territory plan to support the technical standards and specifications that TAMS has recently reviewed. It is my intention that these new street design guidelines will ensure that our planning keeps pace with our growing city, supports sustainable growth, supports a shift towards more sustainable transport and will facilitate growth into a healthy, sustainable, well-functioning city.
They are just a few areas where the government is moving its transport reform agenda forward. Contrary to the way the opposition seeks to portray it in this place, it is actually a very broad transport agenda that is seeking to provide improved transport services right across our city to meet the growing population, and therefore the growing congestion challenges, and the impact they have on our lives both in a social and family sense but also in an economic sense.
MR DOSZPOT (Molonglo) (5.35): It is always a privilege to address comments on sport and recreation—output class 1.4, which is what I am talking to at the moment—as I, like many Canberrans, appreciate the talent and quality of our local Canberrans and the sporting competitions that we have. It is, however, a shame that this government does not seem to appreciate local sport and the sporting community in the same way.
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