Page 104 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 9 February 2010
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In the typical style of this government, they conducted consultation on the road, received feedback that the residents wanted it changed and then ignored that consultation anyway. For nine out of the 10-day consultation, the wrong email address was given, but despite this, significant feedback was received by the department. We then saw a consultation. There was consultation on the development of a territory plan, but this was before residents lived there.
Now we have come to a situation where the will of the Assembly, as expressed in that motion—a position that we still support—was rejected by the government. That was where we got to. Indeed, we saw the report in the Canberra Times on 12 January this year. It reads:
Harrison residents, the ACT Opposition and the Greens all say the Government is relying on a “back-of-an-envelope” estimate to suggest it will cost an extra $5 million to build a planned new road so that it is further away from homes.
Planning Minister Andrew Barr has ignored a resolution by the Assembly in November to abandon the planned extension of Well Station Drive and instead redesign the road on a more easterly alignment.
It goes on to say Mr Barr’s spokesman said:
“The Government’s view is that this alternative route is not viable,” the statement from his office said.
The article goes on to state:
Gungahlin Community Council president Alan Kerlin said the present route meant the new road, initially two lanes but planned to become four lanes, would take up to 20,000 vehicles a day within 20m of homes in Carpentaria Street … Mr Kerlin and Carpentaria Street resident Uday Kaza believed there were savings to be made in the alternative route, which would go through less steep land, but the Government refused to engage with the community in debate.
Interestingly, Mr Kerlin went on to say:
They are showing distain towards the direction of the Assembly … It’s not a majority government any more and I think the ALP needs to remember that.
I think perhaps the Greens need to remember that also, given their change in position on this issue so dramatically since supporting this motion put forward by Alastair Coe and since making those statements in the paper on 12 January. Since then it would appear that the government has been in their ear and in one form or another forced them to sell-out the people of Harrison.
It is worth looking at some of the issues here because it is a broader issue about the treatment of the people of Gungahlin. We have got the issue of Well Station Drive, which is a serious issue. I will go to some of the correspondence that we have received from members of the community on this issue. I believe that most MLAs have received certainly much of this correspondence. It goes to their genuine and real concerns and it goes to the broader concern of the Gungahlin community. I think that
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