Page 3061 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 14 August 2013
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Nicholls either. Unfortunately, with the suggestions that I made initially about Nicholls, I was told that they could not be achieved at that particular time. But they have been achieved since; I have been very happy that some of the solutions that I suggested in the first instance about Nicholls car park were addressed at a late stage.
We all work for our constituents in the best way we can. That is the good thing about this place: we are all out there listening to our community and trying to make representations. Yes, from time to time it does get frustrating out there on the roads, but we are a growing city; we do need to cater for the amount of traffic that is on our roads now and we do need to make alterations. Our constituents would be the first people to say: “Look, I can’t get to work because we have only got two lanes going in this direction. They are always chockers every morning when I am trying to get to work in peak hour. Can’t we have a third lane?” Then, when we build the third lane, they say, “I am stuck in traffic because you are building this third lane.” That is human nature.
I have been to Brisbane. I have been to Sydney. I have been to Melbourne. Out of all of them, I think Melbourne has got the most civilised traffic. But I have seen the work that is going on in those cities, particularly Brisbane. I have children and grandchildren in Brisbane. I have spent quite a bit of time there when I have had the opportunity. I have had to travel quite long distances to see some of my children and grandchildren within Brisbane. We are really fortunate as far as roadworks are concerned. I have never been to Brisbane without major roadworks happening everywhere. And do you know what? I checked the letters to the editor to see where the complaints are. I do not see them; I do not read them. I guess they know they need those improvements made.
So thanks very much, Mr Coe, for bringing this matter to us. As I say, we all work hard in this place for our constituents, and that is the reason why we are all here.
MR COE (Ginninderra) (6.21): In closing, let me say that we have heard some interesting remarks in this debate. Ms Porter’s revisionist Spofforth Street history is somewhat interesting. The bit she failed to mention was that she actually put out a media release where, in effect, she was the amateur traffic engineer, saying that 13 speed humps was great, that it was a real humdinger of a result for the people of Holt. Five weeks later, when the letters started going into her office saying “Rip out the speed humps”, it was a bit different.
I think Ms Berry missed the point of my motion about temporary traffic speed limits. The point is that, unless they are enforced properly, people do not have confidence in temporary traffic speed limits. Unless they are enforced properly, people are apathetic towards temporary traffic speed limits. Therefore, it is absolutely incumbent upon the government to make sure that temporary traffic speed limits in place at construction zones fairly reflect the risk posed to drivers and to workers. If you do not do that, you run the risk of people becoming apathetic. Next time they think, “The last time I drove through one of these temporary traffic zones I could speed through because there was no one there, so next time I will do the same.”
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