Page 2824 - Week 08 - Thursday, 11 August 2016
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This is also a great budget for roads—for roads maintenance and construction—because, while public transport use should be encouraged, we also understand that some people need to drive and that, of course, buses travel across our road network. There is a need to ensure that our roads are safe, functional and can service our community properly, which is why we are therefore investing more than an additional $116 million into building a greater road network that Canberra needs whilst also maintaining the city’s existing neighbourhood streets. This investment will see vital infrastructure built, including the duplication of Ashley Drive in Tuggeranong, Horse Park Drive in Gungahlin, Cotter Road in Woden and Aikman Drive in Belconnen.
These all support the government’s objectives of increasing active travel. Each of these road projects also includes funding for cycling and walking infrastructure such as shared paths and on-road cycle lanes in many locations, including the Woden town centre. I was pleased this year to have, for the first time, our active travel network included. The costings are in the budget papers for the active travel components of major road duplications.
In addition to record investment in road infrastructure and our bus network, this budget also sees work commence on stage 1 of the light rail network. As the new minister responsible for this major infrastructure project, I look forward to ensuring that this great project is delivered. I would like to acknowledge the incredible work of Minister Corbell, who has done a remarkable job advocating for this project for many years, for seeing its potential and bringing it to reality, transforming this project from an election promise to the shovel-ready project that is being delivered in our city today.
The first stage of light rail will provide Canberrans and visitors with more choices to move around our city and will enhance the livability and opportunity available to residents of our city. It will also build the foundations to help redevelop our urban spaces, increase our social and economic participation and revitalise our main gateway to the city. This is not just a facelift for Northbourne Avenue. It will transform our city’s gateway into the grand boulevard it was always meant to be. The 2016-17 budget supports the integration of light rail into Canberra’s public transport system. Construction is underway with operations to commence in late 2018.
Madam Deputy Speaker, as you know, the great news is that light rail is affordable. This budget will continue to deliver our AAA credit rating jurisdiction, and we will only start paying for light rail in the same year that we return the budget to surplus. For every $1 we spend on light rail, we will spend $24 on education and $33 on health.
In addition to the commitment to improve our transport links across the city, the ACT government continues to deliver services that will ensure that our beautiful city retains its unique character. This budget includes $14.2 million in new funding over the next four years for more mowing, more weeding and more cleaning of our city’s suburbs. We will continue to support the management of our local shopping centres, with $1 million going towards more cleaning, which is already underway across each of our shopping centres. We are investing nearly $1.5 million for further improvements at our shops, including new paving, landscaping and better street furniture. We will be undertaking shopping centre upgrades at the Tuggeranong town centre, the Charnwood shops, Kambah village and Spence shops.
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