Page 745 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 8 March 2016
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Main Roads in Queensland. And she started her career as an engineer serving in the Royal Australian Air Force. She has excellent experience, and I know she is excited about ensuring that Canberra has a truly integrated transport system. This is an exciting time for public transport in Canberra, and transport Canberra will deliver new services that are particularly important for the women in our community.
Alongside Emma working on the light rail project is Pacific Partnership’s Saori Peguicha. Pacific Partnerships is the lead agency in the Canberra Metro consortium, and Saori brings local and international hands-on rail delivery experience to the light rail project. She is well known for her innovative approach to ensuring that the ACT’s public transport system is integrated. Throughout her 20-year career in rail and construction, she has worked on projects in Mexico, in Malaysia and throughout Australia.
Women like Saori and Emma show that women can excel in industries that might have once been dominated by men. Emma recently told HerCanberra:
It’s hard to not notice when you’re the only girl in the room, but in recent years I’ve noticed more women are getting involved in the industry.
It is great to see this shift, because when women move into positions of power and influence, in public and private enterprise, we ensure women’s views are better represented in the decision-making process. The truth is that women continue to be over-represented in low income households, in low pay sectors and in casual employment. So having women in positions where they can think about how our public policy affects women can go a long way to ensuring that things like public transport work better for the women who make up 50 per cent of our community.
It is important to understand that public transport is often used differently by women and men, and it is important to make sure public transport is accessible and safe for women. Because women’s reasons for travelling are different from men’s, the purpose, frequency and distance of their trips may also be different. Ensuring that public transport is reliable, affordable and safe for women must be intrinsic to our city’s transport planning.
This is another reason why light rail is a win for our city. It will offer women a safe, reliable and more accessible option for travelling around Canberra. It will be easier to get a pram on and off, so young mothers, many of whom can be isolated in our city if they do not drive, will find it easier to get around. For parents of students thinking of sending their children to Canberra to study, either from throughout Australia or internationally, there is evidence that the major decision-maker in these families on where to send their children is the mother. Decisions that they make knowing that light rail is a safe transport option for the student is important for our international student community in particular.
I have spoken with a number of women who believe light rail will make commuting safer and be more reliable for their children once they start venturing into Civic for a night out. It offers a solution to the growing problem of congestion on Northbourne Avenue. I do not know anyone who would rather be sitting in traffic than spending
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video