Page 2746 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 16 August 2017
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convenient, efficient, affordable, reliable and integrated. We are making significant investments in Canberra‘s future transport network to support our growing city, to improve customer experiences and to achieve financial sustainability. These investments will help consolidate the move toward an integrated multi-modal transport network and achieve the government’s vision of a compact, connected, competitive and sustainable city.
To plan for our growth, to reduce congestion and improve our liveability, we must improve our public transport system. That includes buses, light rail and active transport options as well as exploring innovations in transport technology. The government is interested in not just talking about the benefits of an integrated public transport network; we are getting on with the job of building and enhancing it.
This 2017-18 budget makes many significant investments in ensuring that Canberrans have a quick and reliable way of travelling around our city. Thanks to this budget we will invest $65 million over four years to make our public transport network even better, including $53.5 million for the second stage of light rail; $7 million for free travel on two new rapid bus routes, free off-peak buses for seniors and concession card holders and to continue the free city loop, the airport route and route 182, the Weston Line services; $2.1 million to progress the procurement of an integrated bus and light rail ticketing system; $1.7 million for faster bus travel though bus priority infrastructure, bus service improvements and new bus stops; and invest in better community transport services across the ACT with $8.3 million over four years in community transport, including the community transport coordination centre, expanding the flexible bus service and special needs transport for schoolchildren with a disability.
Our modern and growing city needs a modern and growing public transport system with light rail at its core. Future ACT residents will see the delivery of Canberra’s light rail network, extending this modern mass transit system to shape Canberra for the future. The light rail network will boost Canberra’s sustainable growth by changing and improving transport options, settlement patterns and employment opportunities. It is fundamentally about liveability and mobility for our community.
It is, of course, the largest infrastructure project in the territory’s history. Investment in an infrastructure program of this size creates jobs and opportunities for many years to come. I am pleased to say that stage 1 is progressing well, with project milestones on track along the Gungahlin to city corridor. Following community engagement and expert analysis last year, which built on many years of analysis and community engagement, the route to Woden was selected as the next stage in a sequenced future development of a city-wide light rail network. Stage 2 was taken to last year’s election, so referring back to Mr Coe’s mention of the mandate of 2016, that mandate very clearly included stage 1 and stage 2.
Building stage 2 of light rail will mean a 23-kilometre public transport spine for our city, connecting employment hubs, community and social services and travellers from the north to the south of our city. A number of options were considered in earlier community engagement this year. Two options provided for a route that follows State
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