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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 1 Hansard (19 February) . . Page.. 108 ..

MS HORODNY (continuing):

What I find most appalling about this whole process is that, in the meantime, while all these studies have been going on over the last six years and while the hard decisions kept being put off, Gungahlin has been getting bigger and bigger, and more and more cars have been travelling through North Canberra streets, thus making the John Dedman Parkway seem like the only solution available to meet the transport demands of Gungahlin residents. Let me say at this point that this debate over the parkway is not about pitting Gungahlin residents against Belconnen or North Canberra residents. What we are attempting to do with this motion is to eventually give Gungahlin residents greater transport choice, rather than just having to rely on using their cars all the time - which is the situation that they are in now - and having to face congested roads out of Gungahlin because of all the other Gungahlin residents also having to use their cars.

If this freeway goes ahead, then the section of Canberra Nature Park on O'Connor and Bruce Ridge will be virtually cut apart by road corridors. This will be a disaster not only for the native bushland but also for the many residents of that area who use this bushland for recreation and quiet solitude. Also, the freeway is likely to pass close to houses in Kaleen and would generate more traffic on Caswell Drive, thus subjecting these areas to increased traffic noise and fumes. The freeway will not eliminate traffic problems; it will just move them elsewhere. For example, there are likely to be increased traffic problems generated on Barry Drive and Caswell Drive, where they join the southern end of the freeway, because of cars trying to enter and exit the new road.

The Gungahlin external travel study and the JPC report also recommended that consideration be given to building a Majura Parkway that would act as an eastern ring-road from Gungahlin to Central Canberra, with a connection to the Monaro Highway and the southern parts of Canberra. Nobody seems to be opposed to this road. It would divert traffic right away from North Canberra, and the environment of the Majura Valley is already considerably altered and is unlikely to be used for residential purposes in the foreseeable future because of the airport being located in that valley. In the short term, the construction of a link road from Gungahlin to the existing Majura Road would provide considerable benefits to Gungahlin residents without the negative impacts. This option needs to be given more serious attention by the Government.

It is interesting to note that even the recent ACT strategic plan, which the Government released some weeks ago, for all its flaws, acknowledges that Canberra's past reliance on road systems, aimed simply at satisfying the ever-increasing demand for private travel, is no longer appropriate and that the use of public transport needs to be increased to reduce congestion and pollution and road and parking infrastructure costs. I think it is very hypocritical for this Government to include these sentiments in its strategic plan; yet to do the exact opposite, by pushing ahead with this study against considerable community opposition. I urge the Assembly's support for this motion.

Debate interrupted.

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