Page 2214 - Week 06 - Friday, 27 June 2008
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peddling pie-in-the-sky pipedreams like that motley crew opposite. The building the future infrastructure investment program supports the Stanhope government’s transport objectives with the allocation of $250 million over five years for integrated transport system initiatives spanning roads, car parks, efficient and disability standard compliant buses, public transport services and cycle paths.
The government will spend a total of $10 million in its capital works budget over the next three years to duplicate and widen a number of existing roads around the airport precinct—Fairbairn Avenue, the section between Majura Road and Beltana Road and Pialligo Avenue from Beltana Road to the Monaro Highway.
Some $20 million dollars will be spent over the next two years to duplicate Flemington Road from the town centre to Wells Station Drive. This work is associated with the continued residential development in Gungahlin and, in particular, Franklin and Harrison. Some $5 million dollars will be spent over the next year to extend Horse Park Drive to Burramarra Avenue to assist with the development of Casey. A total of $3.5 million will be spent over the next two years to provide on-road cycle lanes on Cotter Road from Streeton Drive to Stromlo Park, as well as to construct a cycle path connection around Jerrabomberra Wetlands.
A total of $2.4 million will be spent over the next four years to install safety fencing on bridges over busy roads to increase the safety of the travelling public. Access to Burgmann Anglican school in Gungahlin will also be improved with $500,000 allocated in this budget to provide alternative access from Warwick Street to the school’s main car park. This will supplement the existing access points to the school from The Valley Avenue and cater for half the vehicle movements to and from the school, assisting to reduce congestion on The Valley Avenue along the school frontage, as well as providing improved safety for pedestrians, vehicle occupants and buses.
These are some of the projects the government is undertaking. However, the government, contrary to Mrs Dunne’s and Mr Smyth’s comments in their dissenting report, does have a clear strategic five to 10-year major road program, which I provided to the estimates committee for their information.
I also raise the issue of the Gungahlin Drive extension. The final stages of the Gungahlin Drive extension were formally opened on Monday, 7 April 2008, some two months ahead of time. The road is well used, carrying in excess of 20,000 vehicles a day. While it is busy during peak periods, it provides an excellent service outside these times.
The Stanhope Labor government has committed $14 million to augment stormwater infrastructure in numerous locations throughout the ACT. Many of these locations have been impacted by the storm damage of December 2006 and March 2007 when many private properties were flooded and considerable damage resulted from stormwater systems with limited capacity to deal with large storm events. Work will be undertaken in more than 30 different locations throughout Canberra over the next four years with some construction and some forward design completed in the initial year—2008-09.
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