Page 1571 - Week 05 - Thursday, 11 May 2006
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thought, was fairly representative. My main concern with the performance of the Stanhope government is that, as with the arboretum, misplaced priorities appear to be all too common. Funding goes to many non-essential projects that have large funding requirements, instead of to projects that are very important to our residents and the future strength of the ACT.
Mr Speaker, I do not understand why this government cannot get through its head that the budgetary position of the ACT is so poor that all funding that we can ever get in the ACT must be productively focused on both the delivery of essential services and the maintenance of essential infrastructure. We cannot afford the luxury of expensive, white-elephant, ideologically driven projects which are created so the government can pander to minority lobbies. The problem for the government soon will be that if it is not careful the portion of the sensible silent majority which voted for the government last time will reject it in 2008, as they see roads and essential infrastructure, not to mention essential services, crumbling around their ears.
Take, for example, the busway, the new real-time information system for bus services, and some of the more expensive extensions of the on-road bicycle lane system, all relatively expensive but non-essential transport programs. The opposition absolutely supports a robust public transport system and does wish to see a reduction in the dependence on the car, but our road system of supporting a car population will be a reality for some years to come.
The federal budget recently handed down shows the strong level of support that the federal government offers to the ACT. It also demonstrates or at least highlights the neglect of the ACT by the Stanhope government. In the last few days the federal government has delivered $22.7 million for transport projects for the ACT during 2006-07 and an additional $5 million for 2005-06 that is available to be spend immediately, a total of $27.7 million. The feds have again come to the government’s rescue. I wonder whether this government will continue to rely on their assistance to get out of its deep, fond of white elephants, budget hole. Every jurisdiction expects to get and deserves to get federal road funding for various programs, but this government clearly is overreliant on that assistance, given that it has not banked money for ongoing road programs.
Going back to the federal contribution, $16.5 million in untied financial assistance grants, combined with a $5 million Roads to Recovery program grant, can be spent at the discretion of the ACT government. Let us hope it goes to some essential areas. Funding for investment in black spot programs totalling about $1.1 million also has been provided. So a fair swag in federal funding has been provided for our road systems.
Something interesting to note with regard to the federal budget provisions for the ACT is the lack of funding from the AusLink strategic regional program for 2006-07. Perhaps Minister Hargreaves has fallen asleep at the wheel, failing in his duty to apply for funding from this key program. I would like to hear what he has to say about that.
Another important project is the duplication of the Barton Highway from the ACT border to Murrumbateman. This will greatly assist those residents who commute to Canberra and the many other users of this essential transport route and perhaps reduce the congestion in areas just adjacent to our border.
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