Page 3085 - Week 10 - Thursday, 15 August 2013
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North Canberra and Gungahlin are already seeing much higher rates of growth. North Canberra has grown at a rate of 2.6 per cent per annum over the last decade. Gungahlin has grown at a rate of 6.8 per cent per annum over the last decade. That is much faster than the overall growth rate across the city of only 1.4 per cent.
People often say: “Why that corridor?” This is why. It is where the population growth is—where it is now, and where it will continue to be well into the future. The population of Gungahlin is projected to be 73,000 people by 2021; ultimately, it is projected to grow to 90,000. There will be significant population growth in the city centre as well as more people choosing to live closer to jobs, services and facilities.
Labor knows—those opposite might not know, but Labor knows, this government knows—that we must plan for major growth in our population over the next two decades. It means taking a long-term view on transport—not a short-term, politically expedient view, but a long-term view—because high levels of population growth will continue to increase demand for transport infrastructure and services.
By 2031 there will have been a 28 per cent increase—a 28 per cent increase—in the number of people living in the Gungahlin to city corridor. That is 14,261 more residents. It means another 5,440-odd more people living in the city centre itself. That is more than double the current number of people living in the city centre. The number of people who will have a job which is located in the corridor will also dramatically increase; there will be another 23,250 jobs located in the corridor by 2031—some 23,000 more people working in that corridor between the city and Gungahlin between now and 2031. That is a massive increase in less than 20 years.
These increases cannot be met by buses. Business as usual is not good enough. We need transport infrastructure with the capacity and frequency to meet these big increases in population and jobs. It is another reason why light rail is the best choice for our city’s future.
Light rail will also drive higher levels of development and redevelopment activity in the corridor. Light rail is the most effective means of realising the strategic directions of our planning strategy, which targets increased residential densities along transport corridors and in our major centres, like the city, Dickson and Gungahlin town centre.
Under the higher density scenario developed in the Gungahlin to city business case, it is projected that population growth will be 78 per cent in the corridor and 237 per cent in the city centre itself. That is a projection of another 39,650-odd people living in the corridor, another 7,940-odd living in the city centre. That is 22,000 more dwellings in the corridor, 4,900 more apartments, flats and townhouses in the city centre itself. And that is all in less than 20 years. This is a dramatic transformation of our city. It is based not on some hypothetical scenario about population growth but on the current projected mid-term trend for population growth in our city.
These are the challenges our city has to face. This demonstrates the potential for light rail to dramatically change where people choose to live in our city. It means housing choice, improved affordability and a more sustainable pattern of development which
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