Page 3606 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 22 November 2022
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Mr Parton has been up to Brisbane recently checking out some electric buses. It is pretty bizarre that he is so obsessed with them, because, just under two years ago, he criticised us for even planning to invest in electric buses after we undertook an initial trial of them here in Canberra. The more recent trial was very successful, and now we are getting on to transition our entire fleet to zero emissions!
Mr Hanson interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Hanson, if you are given the call to ask a question, you will ask it then; not across the floor.
Light rail—Tuggeranong
MR PARTON: My question is to the minister for transport. Minister, the Tuggeranong-specific September issue of the glossy Our Canberra newsletter has a headline article that states boldly “Light rail is coming”. Given that light rail is unlikely to arrive in Woden until the mid 2030s and that Tuggeranong is apparently stage 4 of the project, when will the tram arrive in Tuggeranong? Will it be the back half of this century or will it be next century?
MADAM SPEAKER: It is verging on being a question with a bit of irony, quite frankly.
MR STEEL: I thank the member for his question. We on this side of the chamber do have a long-term plan for our public transport system in this city and building a mass transit system for this city. Of course, that starts with building a north to south transport spine. In order to get light rail down to Tuggeranong, we need to first get it to Commonwealth Park and then get it down to Woden. That is the current work that we are engaged in. That is our priority at the moment. As we continue—
Mr Hanson: Madam Speaker, on a point of order on relevance.
MADAM SPEAKER: Resume your seat, Mr Steel.
Mr Hanson: He has been asked for a time. At least, tell us which century. That would be reasonable. He could at least say which century this is being delivered in, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: Resume your seat. I will say two things, but I will wait for the minister to finish. Minister, do you want to say anything else?
MR STEEL: I have not finished, Madam Speaker. We continue to plan. In fact, we have just gone out to undertake further feasibility early planning work on future light rail lines, to update our existing light rail network plan, which is also known as the light rail master plan. It outlines the future vision for extensions of light rail.
One thing is for sure, Madam Speaker, and it is on display today. If the Canberra Liberals were in government, they would never deliver light rail, ever, to the south side or anywhere else in Canberra.
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