Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 3 Hansard (8 March) . . Page.. 845 ..

MR HIRD (continuing):

Recommendation 23 calls for the use of federal funding currently being expended on duplication of the Barton Highway between the Federal Highway and Bellenden Street to also incorporate improvements to the traffic flow at the Barton and Federal Highway intersection. (Further extension of time granted.) This intersection is a real slow point, and a definitive road engineering answer is required.

Access for emergency vehicles to Calvary Hospital was a major issue considered by the committee, and recommendation 25 calls for specific access to the hospital, its casualty department in particular, from the Gungahlin Drive extension.

Mr Speaker, I have addressed 24 of the 25 recommendations. In addressing those recommendations, I believe I have also addressed most of the matters raised by my colleague Mr Corbell in his dissenting report. In fact, I cannot see where the dissent arises in relation to these items.

Recommendation 24 of the committee's report is that Gungahlin Drive extension should be located on the eastern side of the Australian Institute of Sport. This was clearly the most difficult of the decisions to reach, and I am sure that Mr Corbell will soon take the opportunity to expound on his reasons for not agreeing with the majority on this recommendation.

We have recommended the eastern route because it costs less and it provides greater benefits. Costing as at January this year for the eastern route was $22 million. This compares with costings of between $25 million and $28 million for the western route. As I said, for a better price, the eastern route provides greater benefits.

The government has announced that the Gungahlin Drive extension will not cut through the O'Connor Ridge, nor will there be any offshoots through the ridge. Under our recommendations, the Gungahlin Drive extension will pass close to the western perimeter of the ridge and will be routed behind the existing eastern AIS and Bruce Stadium car park and link with Caswell Drive via a flyover at Belconnen Way. AIS and Bruce Stadium traffic will be able to access the Gungahlin Drive extension, with traffic flow in both directions, and bus routes from Belconnen to Civic via the various Bruce precinct facilities could also be encompassed.

Access to the AIS and Bruce Stadium parking areas and main entrances will not be affected. The AIS in particular has large numbers of regular busloads of visitors from all over Australia and overseas and has an established infrastructure for meeting and greeting visitors. The cost of relocating these facilities and access arrangements will be high, and it may be fanciful for the AIS to be expected to bear the cost.

Most importantly, as I stated earlier, emergency vehicle accessing routes should be provided to allow ambulances access to casualty at Calvary Hospital. This is a vital consideration for residents of Northern and Western Canberra, and in particular the families and residents of Gungahlin.

In contrast, the western option is routed close to the AIS through what is currently the AIS western car park. Much of the land is currently held by the AIS under lease from the Commonwealth, and advice is that the lease is likely to be extended for a further term.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .