Page 3053 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 16 September 2015
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our regional transport network and is the single largest road infrastructure investment ever made in the ACT. The project was jointly funded in 2011 by the commonwealth and ACT governments and will create long-term economic, social and environmental benefits estimated at close to $1 billion.
The Majura Parkway project has been included in the ACT territory plan since the 1970s. From a national perspective, it will improve an important freight route. From a regional perspective, the project will better provide access to the Canberra Airport. It will provide a transport hub for the region and add to the capability of the main road network for both personal and freight traffic.
Construction works are currently focused on construction of the bridge over the Molonglo River and Fairbairn Avenue and the widening of Pialligo Avenue and Morshead Drive, including associated on-ramps. It is expected that the bridge will be opened to two-way traffic in early November this year, prior to the opening of the IKEA retail store. The Parkway is now open north of Fairbairn Avenue to the Federal Highway. The old Majura Road remains open as a local access road and as an alternative route to the Majura Park shopping centre.
The Majura Parkway is 11.5 kilometres of dual carriageway and will soon link seamlessly with the Monaro Highway in the vicinity of Pialligo. It is a high standard duplicated road with two lanes in each direction and a speed limit of 100 kilometres per hour. The Majura Parkway is forecast to carry around 40,000 vehicles a day, including up to 6,000 trucks, by the year 2030. The new road will play a significant role in improving the movement of freight both nationally and within our own region by easing congestion. This makes business activity more viable in the Pialligo and Majura precincts and will help the territory’s economy and business community into the future.
The benefit of having a road such as the Majura Parkway is that it will improve general accessibility into the region and make doing business in Canberra more attractive to multinational companies, who will see the ACT in a more positive light. It will make the decision to invest in our region easier, as it was for IKEA. The Majura Parkway will be completed by June 2016 and will provide an excellent route for people travelling back from Sydney to the southern part of the ACT and people in the surrounding New South Wales region travelling to or through Canberra.
The ACT government is also finalising a freight strategy to ensure infrastructure investment supports future freight activities, larger freight trucks, urban development and economic growth in the ACT. Through sustained investments in new and existing infrastructure, this government continues to give a strong signal to businesses and the community that the ACT is not only a worthwhile location to live in but also an excellent place to invest.
This government has achieved over $2.6 million of red tape savings in time and administrative effort for community organisations through changes to community sector procurement, contracting and reporting. This red tape reform is ongoing, with many exciting new initiatives to come in the new financial year, including the results of a review of the prequalification system and a new, simpler funding agreement template developed in consultation with the sector.
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