Page 822 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 9 March 2016
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As to the most important thing we can take out of this debate, I would be loath to see anybody stand in this chamber today and say the ACT government is not supportive of autonomous vehicles coming to the territory. I fear that we will see a press release that says that because this bill was not supported, the government does not support autonomous vehicles. But I cannot be any clearer that this government is absolutely open to business in working with innovators in this space, in working with people who want to come to the ACT and work with the ACT government. We can assure you that we are keen to talk to you. The door is open and we have the ability to make it happen very quickly through the broad regulatory powers that we have and the ability of the minister to make an exemption. We have a flexible system that means that we can work with anybody who wants to come and work with us.
MR COE (Ginninderra) (10.57), in reply: I am disappointed that the government will not be supporting my legislation today. I am not surprised, because, of course, this is something which the government want to take carriage of themselves. However, they are in a very awkward situation. On one hand they are trying to say that we need to have fixed rail or fixed infrastructure public transport solutions in Canberra, yet on the other hand, from Mr Rattenbury’s speech, we are hearing that actually it is not going to be a dynamic, nimble autonomous vehicle system in the ACT, therefore making any fixed infrastructure redundant.
People will try to backpedal and say, “We will use autonomous vehicles to shuttle people into Gungahlin or shuttle people into Dickson and then they can hop on the tram.” But the truth is that people will only shuttle onto another mode of transport if it is faster than the mode of transport they are currently on. Why would somebody go from a fast autonomous vehicle onto a slow tram which is averaging 20 kilometres an hour? Why would somebody do that? It simply does not make sense. If there were a nonstop service from Gungahlin to the city averaging 40, 50, 60 or 70 kilometres an hour, perhaps somebody would have an incentive to shuttle into a town centre or shuttle into a node to then go onto a different mode of transport.
The truth is that autonomous vehicles are in conflict with light rail. They are in stark conflict with light rail. That is why we have not seen any progress on autonomous vehicles in the ACT. This government’s stubbornness with regard to light rail means that we are not getting the best available technology and the optimal transport solution for our jurisdiction.
Two years ago, the vice-president of research and development of General Motors said of the ACT that we are the standout jurisdiction in Australia for autonomous vehicles. That was two years ago. It is all very well for Mr Rattenbury to say that we are open for business, but the truth is: what business has happened here? We are obviously not open for business, because no business is taking place. Why is business taking place in South Australia in this space but not here in the ACT? Why has it been taking place in states right across America for years, yet not in the ACT? Why is it taking place in jurisdictions right across Australia, but not here in the ACT? That is why we have legislation on the table.
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