Page 1173 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 6 April 2016
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to duplicating Ashley Drive right through to Johnson Drive. Last year, the Canberra Liberals also committed to duplicating the final stretch of Cotter Road between McCulloch Street and the Tuggeranong Parkway—a road neglected by this government.
On top of this, we have of course already committed to duplicating Gundaroo Drive between Gungahlin Drive and the Barton Highway, as well as constructing a flyover at the Barton Highway roundabout—a policy supported by former Labor senator, and now NRMA board member, Kate Lundy.
The duplication of Ashley Drive is a typical example of this government’s incompetence. Before the 2012 election, the ACT government promised a $19.6 million duplication of Ashley Drive. The plan was to duplicate Ashley Drive between Isabella Drive and Johnson Drive, with work beginning in 2013.
Instead, what residents in Tuggeranong have got from this government is a $24.6 million commitment to duplicate Ashley Drive between Isabella Drive and Ellerston Avenue, with work starting later this year. Canberrans are paying more for a road, despite it being shortened, and are waiting longer for that shortened road to be built.
The Barr government was no doubt looking to try and be the heroes this year. Breaking down the Ashley Drive duplication into further stages allows them to make more glossy announcements leading up to the election. However, the truth is that they have been caught out and Canberrans simply do not like the gamesmanship of splitting Ashley Drive into two announcements, while splitting Gundaroo Drive into two announcements. It simply does not make sense. It does not make financial sense and it does not make sense from a transport point of view either.
People are getting increasingly frustrated by this government simply playing politics with transport as opposed to actually delivering upon a system which will serve all of Canberra. The delays in duplicating Cotter Road, Gundaroo Drive and others are emblematic of the issues you get when you give transport to a Greens transport minister. Only now, when we have got an election year looming and a Labor minister, will we perhaps actually start to see roads announcements coming out of this government
The Canberra Liberals have a detailed and comprehensive policy regarding public transport in the ACT. We have taken the experts’ advice and we have listened to the Canberra community. We are going to invest in buses over trams because buses can deliver the same, if not better, transport outcomes, but we can deliver it for all of Canberra, not just the three per cent who happen to live within walking distance of a proposed tram stop. I urge the government to support this simple but important motion today that sets up Canberra for many decades into the future.
Debate interrupted in accordance with standing order 74 and the resumption of the debate made an order of the day for a later hour.
Sitting suspended from 12.30 to 2.30 pm.
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