Page 2386 - Week 08 - Thursday, 5 August 2021

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Mrs Jones: I have a point of order on relevance. The Minister was asked a very simple question—and he has not answered it at all yet—as to why he would not table. It was not about other work that would be undertaken or is currently being undertaken. What is the reason he will not table it?

MR STEEL: I have already tabled the outcome of that modelling.

Mrs Jones: On relevance and on the minister’s response. It is absolutely disgraceful that he can treat the chamber like this. We have asked a very straightforward question, and he refuses even to entertain the question. That is not what the standing orders ask him to do.

MR STEEL: On the point of order, I am happy to continue answering the question, rather than just sitting down. This is a complex operational traffic model—

MADAM SPEAKER: To the points of order, I believe the minister is on track. If you are going to raise behaviour of members in this chamber, I would look to your colleagues very closely, Mrs Jones, to talk about what is acceptable and what is not.

Mrs Jones: Madam Speaker, on your feedback—and thank you very much for it!—nonetheless, commentary across the chamber is one thing, but I think it is a really serious matter if he will not answer the question in any way and refuses to actually make an explanation why.

MR STEEL: In closing, with 16 seconds to go, this is a complex operational traffic model, and it does change depending on what the inputs are and the assumptions around the model. I have tabled the modelling that we have undertaken based on the assumptions that we have provided, but there will be ongoing work.

Light rail—impact on business

MS CASTLEY: My question is to the Minister for Transport and City Services. In relation to light rail stage 2A construction impacts, you recently said the disruption task force would, among other things, focus on minimising the impact of construction on business. What risk assessment did you undertake in relation to impact of four years of construction activity on businesses in affected areas of Civic, and will you table those assessments?

MR STEEL: I thank the member for her question. We are continuing to work with business to understand what their needs are during the build. Of course, we will work with them as we get a better understanding of the construction program, once we have a delivery partner on board for the various parts of the project.

We of course started to engage early. That was one of the learnings from stage 1 of light rail project—to engage at a much earlier time to understand the extent of businesses and other organisations that go beyond business on the light rail stage 2A, who they were and to start engaging with them through a variety of different channels—regular updates provided by email, engagement face to face. We have had


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