Page71 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 2 December 2020
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We hit a sweet spot in the market with the delivery of stage 1 light rail, for example. That project hit the national market at the right time. We had a very competitive tendering process. We had a world-class consortium deliver a world-class project for the city. That set of circumstances does not present itself on every major project every single time. We need to be cognisant of that in our forward infrastructure planning.
In the 10-year plan that I outlined about 18 months ago we touched on these supply-side constraints. There is nothing new in this. It is simply a statement of the reality of the current market. (Time expired.)
MR COE: What specific projects are at risk of not being delivered and what is the government doing to manage those risks?
MR BARR: As I indicated in my previous answer, it will be the larger projects that have the greatest risk. That is common sense. That largely relates to time frames around procurement or planning approvals. The project that is the biggest challenge at the moment, it is very clear, is getting commonwealth approvals for further stages of light rail.
Environment—Healthy Waterways project
MR BRADDOCK: My question is to the Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction, and is in relation to water policy. Minister, as the first Greens water minister in the country, can you please explain the benefits of the ACT’s Healthy Waterways project.
MR RATTENBURY: Yes. This is a very valuable set of projects that has been underway for a number of years. The ACT Healthy Waterways project aims to reduce sediment and nutrient pollution in ACT lakes and waterways, and the problems that arise from that—things like algal blooms. This, of course, has been a source of great frustration for our community for a number of years.
Whilst many of our lakes and waterways are designed as part of the stormwater system, the community also sees them as important recreational assets. They like to be able to swim in them, let their dogs swim in them, and go kayaking and fishing and the like. For example, Lake Tuggeranong, which has experienced significant problems, has raised a lot of community concerns. The Healthy Waterways project is a partnership with the Commonwealth. We were able to get a commitment of $80 million from the Commonwealth with money put in by—
Mr Hanson interjecting—
MR RATTENBURY: Funnily enough, Mr Hanson, you would remember—because you were here for the 2012 election—that the Liberal Party opposed trying to get that money from the commonwealth. The Liberals said we would never get it. When the Greens put that policy up at the 2012 election the Liberal Party said that it was impossible; that it was a pipe dream. I can give you the Canberra Times article if you like, Mr Hanson.
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