Page 615 - Week 02 - Thursday, 22 February 2018
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Roads—Yarralumla
MS LEE: My question is to the Minister for Transport and City Services. Minister, the government has begun the process of widening and upgrading Dudley Street Yarralumla at a cost of approximately $8 million dollars. As the works include neither additional lanes nor improved access to either Cotter Road or Novar Street Yarralumla, why has the government committed millions of dollars to this upgrade?
MS FITZHARRIS: I do believe that this project is not a roads project that is being managed by Transport Canberra and City Services. But if I am incorrect I will follow up and government members will take the question on notice.
MS LEE: Perhaps the minister will need to take this on notice: why did the government commit itself to this type of upgrade rather than investing in the long-term goal of a road interchange at the Mint, which both the growing populations of Weston and Molonglo and the government’s proposed plan for light rail stage 2 would require?
MR GENTLEMAN: I might take this question. It relates to the work in regard to the new residential opportunities at Yarralumla, where the brickworks used to be. The road that is being built is to give access to construction sites and, later on, traffic. It was as part of that process that the design framework and engineers did this piece of work.
MR PARTON: Minister, on what authority can you build on the habitat of the golden sun moth when other developments around Canberra have been prevented from proceeding due to such habitat?
MR GENTLEMAN: There are a number of instances where you can receive commonwealth EPBC approval for construction in some areas that could be habitat for endangered species. These matters are worked on with the commonwealth. They give us permission to use habitat in those areas as long as we provide habitat in other areas. The ecologists work in these areas and give us advice on where we could build and where we should not.
ACT Health—workplace attraction strategy
MS CODY: My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing: how will ACT Health’s new workforce attraction strategy affect the health workforce in the ACT?
MS FITZHARRIS: I thank Ms Cody very much for her question and, of course, her significant interest in ACT Health’s workforce. As members know, the ACT government is expanding health and hospital services over the coming years to cater for the growing needs of our region. This planning includes the expansion of the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children, the SPIRE centre, planning for north side health services, building the popular Gungahlin and Weston Creek walk-in centres, a new inner north walk-in and health centre, and opening the new University of Canberra hospital later this year. This means that some of the best jobs in health
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