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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 10 Hansard (29 August) . . Page.. 3608 ..

MR SMYTH (continuing):

A similar time frame would apply to a subsequent amendment to the National Capital Plan. Overall, a change to the western alignment would add a minimum of 24 months-more likely, 36 months-to the process. It would delay completion of the Gungahlin Drive extension until mid-2006 or mid-2007, by which time Gungahlin's population will have grown by another 8,000 or 9,000 people. This would add significantly to traffic congestion on roads from Gungahlin. The congestion on Gungahlin roads is already significant.

Delays would add significantly to the cost of the project. With an inflation factor of 5 per cent, delay would add approximately $1.75 million to the cost of the project. As a result of costing this and other Labor projects, the Stanhope spendometer has risen to nearly $19 million in recurrent costs and $13 million in capital costs.

Mr Corbell: On a point of order: I am not sure whether the question asked about the costing of Labor Party policies or, indeed, the total cost in relation to policies.

MR SPEAKER: I uphold the point of order. And there is no need to refer to a spendometer of the Labor Party.

MR HIRD: I have a supplementary. Minister, you will be aware of the concerns of the residents of the suburb of Aranda in respect of Caswell Drive and the proposed extension to the Gungahlin Drive. Can you inform the house what the government's approach to this matter is in light of report No 67 of my Standing Committee on Planning and Urban Services, recommendation 13?

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I think he is asking him to reflect on a vote-encouraging and inciting him to reflect on a vote.

MR SPEAKER: I do not even know what the question was.

Mr Hird: Do you want me to repeat it, Mr Speaker? I will repeat it if you want me to.

MR SPEAKER: No.

MR SMYTH: The government's preferred route is that which has been proposed by the Aranda Residents Association, subject to the environmental and engineering studies that would allow such a route to go ahead.

Gungahlin Drive extension

MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, the dorothy dixer that was just asked provides the backdrop to my question to the Minister for Urban Services about the Gungahlin Drive extension. According to this morning's Canberra Times, the timetable that the minister just outlined is going to come to a sudden end in light of advice that the government has received that the minister has been told he cannot gazette a territory plan variation removing the western, community-favoured route until the NCA has completed its own process to vary the National Capital Plan. It might all come unstuck and all come to nought and therefore the program that you have outlined has no status until the NCA has looked at the matter. Minister, will you table a copy of the advice that you have received from the NCA on

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