Page 2213 - Week 06 - Friday, 27 June 2008
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a) the purpose for the ACT Motorsports Fund;
b) the projects that the Fund will finance;
c) the timeline for each project.
I would not hold my breath. I doubt very much if we will ever actually see that. The Chief Minister has summarily and arrogantly dismissed all the recommendations made in the dissenting report, most of which were fairly sensible. Just looking at the budget as a whole I see that some fairly innocuous recommendations in the main report have been dismissed out of hand by this government. That is just typical of its arrogance.
The motor sport fraternity, especially the dragway fraternity, are rightly concerned about this. At this stage they simply do not believe anything the government says and certainly do not believe anything in relation to the supposed motor sports fund. The government stands condemned for the way it has treated motor sport enthusiasts in the ACT. Of course, should we be re-elected in October this year, our party will build a dragway on that site.
MR HARGREAVES (Brindabella—Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Minister for Housing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (11.44): The Stanhope Labor government has provided a budget that will deliver a sound foundation for the future of this great city. Through the budget, the government is focusing on investing in our transport system and our infrastructure to meet Canberra’s current and future needs and aspirations.
Let us examine this investment. On behalf of the people of Canberra, the government has made a major commitment to road projects in the 2008-09 budget. The government will spend a total of $11 million in its capital works budget over the next three years to upgrade Tharwa Drive between Johnson Drive and Box Hill Avenue in Banks, while completing the duplication of Athllon Drive with an investment of $2 million. Those investments will deliver important road and traffic improvements for the good folk residing in the beautiful Tuggeranong Valley.
Further rehabilitation work will also be undertaken on Majura Road and the Cotter Road, with an investment of nearly $3 million. Further, the government is providing $20.4 million for capital upgrades aimed squarely at extending the productive life of the territory’s assets and improving the look and the amenity of the city. Improvements will be made not only to roads infrastructure but also sports facilities, libraries, bus stops, urban open spaces, cycle paths and footpaths, local shopping precincts and, more importantly in a way, stormwater infrastructure.
The government has an integrated approach to enhancing the transport system with the objectives of providing net benefits for the economy by improving the efficiency of the whole transport system, addressing traffic congestion, improving social outcomes for the community, minimising the level of transport emissions and providing the community with better transport options.
Unlike the opposition, the government is focused on delivering tangible and sustainable transport outcomes. It is not in the business of grasping at straws or
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