Page 2786 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 23 June 2009
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However, this comes at a time when our priorities really need to focus on transforming Canberra into a sustainable city. I asked the government if they had any targets for shifting capital works expenditure so that higher priority was given to buses, bicycles and pedestrians. The government did give me an extensive reply, in which it said no.
I would have at least expected that newly funded roads would be built with transit lanes incorporated. But the government does not plan to have a transit lane on the due to be duplicated Gungahlin Drive extension. It also has no plans to add a transit lane to Canberra Avenue on the way to Queanbeyan, which is already at well beyond capacity at peak hours.
I must admit to having a degree of surprise at these answers, although maybe I should not. The government has said that it has a goal to make Canberra a sustainable city, but it is still the same old sorts of development, the same road-centred sorts of development. There have been some very good green aspects in the budget, but, looking forward to the next budget, we are going to need to do more. The environmental imperatives demand it. We are going to need a budget that looks more at climate change, and one of the areas where we need to start this is sustainable transport, as my colleague Ms Bresnan also spoke about. I look forward to the recommendations of the soon to be completed greenhouse gas target inquiry.
Unfortunately, the government at this stage is focused on cars. Its attitude towards the refurbishment of Bunda Street is a good example. Some $4 million has been provided for its refurbishment. There has been public consultation, and that public consultation reveals a preference for pedestrian and bike-friendly solutions. However, the government’s view appears to be that motorised traffic is the major priority, so it looks as though the refurbishment of Bunda Street is going to be an opportunity that will be lost; instead, part of Canberra will be locked into a car-dominant configuration for longer than necessary.
This is also happening at Gungahlin. Gungahlin businesses and residents have urged the government to make Gungahlin’s town centre safer and more pedestrian friendly, in line with the vision zero concept. I remember that all the time during the last election campaign the Labor candidate there had a petition for people to sign to close Hibberson Street. She did not get elected and we have not closed Hibberson Street. The government really needs to look at the safety aspects on Hibberson Street: Saturday mornings, particularly nice Saturday mornings, are quite frightening there. This would be a good area where the Chief Minister could translate his enthusiasm for vision zero into real action in Gungahlin. A true vision zero would prioritise safety for vulnerable pedestrians and cyclists through proactive planning.
The budget and the government have also failed to deliver a government shopfront to Gungahlin. We all know that Gungahlin is a fast-growing area. This growth is influencing a number of other planning decisions, such as the new Majura parkway. A shopfront in the area would assist the growing population of Gungahlin to be more self-contained and reduce the need for some of the travel.
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