Page 3164 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 20 August 2019
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Mrs Dunne: I think they’ve been engaged for a long time before you.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mrs Dunne: enough thank you.
Light rail—stage 2 update
MR GUPTA: My question is to the Minister for Transport and City Services. Minister, can you please update the Assembly on the progress of light rail stage 2.
MR STEEL: I thank Mr Gupta for his question and his interest in light rail. I know he is a regular light rail commuter up in Gungahlin and he also helped me recently to launch the light rail safety week.
The ACT government is doing the work necessary to bring light rail to Woden as soon as possible. The first step has been that the ACT government has sought formal environmental approvals from the commonwealth through the commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
We are currently progressing the planning approvals for light rail for the city to Woden corridor in two components: 2A from the city to Commonwealth Park and 2B from Commonwealth Park to Woden. This approach will allow any complexities arising in the 2B component to be addressed without holding up the start of development of light rail from the city to Woden, and by making two environmental planning approvals we hope that this will enable works to progress earlier on the light rail route to Woden sooner rather than later.
Light rail to Woden is vital to establish a north-south spine for our transport network, and the ACT government is committed to getting light rail to Woden as quickly as possible.
MR GUPTA: Minister, why did the government decide to lodge its submission under the commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act in two stages?
MR STEEL: I thank Mr Gupta for his supplementary. The commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act applies throughout the country for major projects and requires a rigorous analysis of the environment and heritage considerations in constructing a project like light rail. Indeed we made a referral under the first stage of light rail. This year in July the ACT lodged two referrals under the act to progress planning approval for light rail to Woden.
The first submission, as I said, is for the extension from the city to Commonwealth Park. This stage will get light rail through city west on London Circuit through to the edge of the lake. This will involve relatively simpler issues than the second component, from Commonwealth Park through to Woden.
We acknowledge that that segment requires more complex consideration by the commonwealth, the National Capital Authority and the commonwealth parliament, and may take more time to approve. We want to allow time for the heritage and environmental issues to be worked through properly and for Canberrans to understand
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