Page 194 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 13 February 2019
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If we compensated every business that was affected by the $73 billion program, we wouldn’t be able to deliver a thing.
Given these issues—the need and desire for infrastructure upgrades and the consequent disruption of doing them—what should we do? There has to be a balance between fairness to businesses and the ability of government to deliver infrastructure for the whole community. The government cannot just pretend that impacts on businesses do not exist. But in almost all cases monetary compensation is not going to be an appropriate option. Also, we should think of the long-term benefits for businesses. For example, for the businesses in Hibberson Street in Gungahlin town centre between Coles and ALDI, light rail will deliver a large number of potential customers right outside their door.
I am pleased to see from Minister Fitzharris’s amendment that the government has been trying to find ways to find the most impacted businesses. One of these has been to coordinate and support a street party, which is a good move. Coincidentally I happened to be in Gungahlin at the time of the one that should have been happening for 2018 that was cancelled due to weather. I am sure that the town centre marketing will be very welcome.
I will also talk briefly about Mitchell, which is also mentioned in Mr Milligan’s motion. In December the year before last, I went up to Mitchell to have a look around with the Mitchell Traders Association. What I saw was fairly worrying. There were a lot of city services issues, like dead or dying trees that had not been tidied up or replaced. Light rail construction had also at that point basically cut Mitchell off from its rapid bus stop. I had quite a degree of sympathy with the traders who invited me out to see the sad situation.
With that in mind I was very pleased to hear from Minister Fitzharris’s office that they have been extra focused on city service issues in Mitchell recently and that some extra work has been done. I understand they have also had targeted marketing support for the light rail business link program, which is great. Then in the budget there is funding to start working towards the Mitchell light rail stop, which will be a relief to the traders association. I think that in the long run light rail will be good for Mitchell, but I do appreciate that you cannot get to the long run unless you can get through the short run. That is the issue here.
To conclude, the issues for businesses of infrastructure works can be real and severe. But financial compensation in general is not going to be the option. I am therefore pleased to see that Minister Fitzharris has been working on a large number of non-compensation steps that the government can, and I hope and understand will, take to help businesses impacted by light rail construction work, and that they are promising to do more.
This morning I saw the light rail actually moving, in operation. So the end is nigh. It will get better soon—this year some time, I reckon. The Greens will be supporting the minister’s amendment when the minister’s amendment is moved.
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