Page 2819 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 13 August 2019
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This government took to the 2016 election a promise to build light rail in this term of government, and we have delivered. This has been a huge win for the Gungahlin community. It is worth pointing out that this budget will deliver the final part of light rail stage 1, the Mitchell stop. We have seen just how popular light rail is. It was well worth the wait, dare I say. Already we have seen an increase of 32 per cent in the number of Canberrans using public transport when compared to this time last year. This is a clear endorsement by the people of Canberra that light rail is an effective and popular mode of transport.
Our government is committed to bringing light rail stage 2 to Canberrans south of the lake. I know that this is particularly popular with my constituents, because a lot of them do not want to just stop in Civic; a lot of them want to keep going further south. We want to get on with the job of building light rail stage 2 as soon as possible, so that even more Canberrans can experience the benefits of light rail. Almost 210,000 people will be living within one kilometre of the light rail network by 2041. This is an important investment, and we need to get on with the design and construction to deliver better public transport for the 2020s and beyond.
This budget will deliver the design and planning works for stage 2 to Woden. This will also include upgrading the Woden bus interchange in preparation for integration with light rail. The government will continue to work with the commonwealth government and the NCA to finalise the route and other details. This is all part of our plan to make Canberra a more livable and accessible city for our growing population.
Our government is making it easier for Canberrans to catch the light rail. This budget provides for the design and construction of a park-and-ride facility on Well Station Drive. This means that Gungahlin residents who live too far away to walk or bike to a light rail stop have the option to drive part of the way. This will mean that those same residents do not have to drive all the way to the city, which will decrease congestion.
As we continue to upgrade the transport infrastructure that allows Canberrans to get around, it is just as vital that the public infrastructure in our local suburbs keeps pace with the increasing population in the territory. That is why in this budget we have promised 25 new parking spaces to the people of Palmerston at their local shops. This will increase the safety of the area, as well as supporting local businesses and residents by maintaining public infrastructure and facilities to keep up with the substantial population growth.
The government is delivering 84 new, modern buses and upgrading our bus network to better integrate with the broader Canberra community. These buses are more fuel efficient, accessible and comfortable for passengers, and they will be integrated into the updated bus network. These new buses will be added to the fleet on a rolling basis, so that we have the option to transition to emerging types of low emissions vehicles as the technology changes and improves. This will ensure that Canberrans will have a more comfortable commute if they travel using the bus network.
In addition we have rolled out a new bus network that is designed to integrate effectively with light rail services, as well as provide more rapid bus routes to service
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