Page 1823 - Week 05 - Thursday, 16 May 2019
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MR STEEL: I thank Ms Cheyne for her question and note her genuine interest in active travel in the ACT. Last week I was very pleased to announce an investment and a commitment of $5.8 million between our government and federal Labor to deliver a number of important cycling and pedestrian infrastructure projects across our city to keep Canberrans connected. This commitment will address some of the key missing links across our bike path network in Canberra and will improve safety and convenience for riders and pedestrians.
Since 2016 the ACT government has invested an additional $30 million in footpath maintenance, cycling and walking route upgrades. We want to continue that work by addressing missing links along our walking and cycling paths and upgrade well-used paths as well.
If a federal Labor government is elected on Saturday key bike path links in Tuggeranong, Weston Creek, Woden , Gungahlin, Belconnen and the inner north will be built or upgraded to better connect Canberrans travelling along those routes, funded through a joint agreement.
Over the past six years Canberrans have experienced life under a federal Liberal government with job cuts, decentralisation, cuts to health, and a lack of federal infrastructure funding for the territory. The ACT government will work with a future Labor government to better invest in our local suburbs, and this commitment highlights federal Labor’s commitment to invest in active travel in addition to their public transport commitments to improve infrastructure for our growing city.
MS CHEYNE: Minister, which areas of Canberra stand to benefit from this investment?
MR STEEL: These upgrades will benefit almost all of Canberra’s regions. Key bike path links in Kambah, Mitchell, Lyons, Belconnen and Turner will be built or upgraded to better connect Canberrans travelling along those key routes. These upgrades will make it easier for people to commute from the suburbs to the city and vice versa.
The commitments will include a new safe and convenient link in Kambah along Sulwood Drive, a four kilometre stretch between Drakeford Drive and Athllon Drive, by constructing an off-road walking and cycling path to improve safety along that 80 kilometre per hour arterial road.
The commitment will also fund stage 2 of the Heysen Street bike share path from Lyons to Woden town centre on Devonport and Launceston Streets. This connects with our existing $1.2 million in upgrades in the last budget. As part of the upgrades we have also committed to extend the Belconnen bikeway, in Ms Cheyne’s electorate, on Hayden Drive from College Street through to Purdie Street, linking the University of Canberra, the CIT and Calvary hospital to the Belconnen bikeway project. It is an important project.
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