Page 4259 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 27 November 2013
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and create new interest in Canberra from further afield. I am already aware that the project is doing just that. It will transform the city in the lives of those who use it and in the minds of those who make judgements from elsewhere.
If you look at our transport challenge from a liveability point of view, it is estimated that the cost of congestion, vehicle operating costs and environmental impacts alone could exceed $200 million over 30 years if the project does not proceed. A 90 per cent dependence on private transport in this corridor is too high. We enjoy less congestion than many cities because of our smaller population and our quality road network, but our per capita ratios will become more problematic as we grow. Indeed, the articles and the data released by the ABS yesterday go exactly to this point.
Canberra’s public transport modal share is four per cent, compared to the capital city average of 11 per cent, a figure which must improve as the city grows. By increasing the share of journeys made by public transport, we can not only reduce the cost of congestion but drive important benefits in the health of our population. Public transport is a healthier, more active mode of travel than the car. Those who can leave their cars at home or at public transport hubs automatically get the benefits of physical activity during their commute. It also helps to build a culture in our city, the culture we are targeting through the healthy weight initiative, where physical activity is a far greater part of our daily lives, whether in the home, the school, the workplace or the transport system.
Therefore, governments and prospective governments in the ACT face the choice of whether they act on these demands or ignore them, whether they invest while the corridor is relatively clear because they can see what the future holds or whether they put it off so that future generations have to grapple with far worse scenarios, greater congestion and transport corridors which are prohibitively expensive to reclaim. On this side, we choose to be proactive, to look forward and to look at the environmentally and economically smart option.
Capital metro will indeed be good for the ACT economy. It has already increased interest in the Gungahlin to Civic corridor. The potential uplift affecting property values and investments alone is likely to reach many millions of dollars. This is the experience of hundreds of cities around the world, cities renowned for having excellent liveability because of their transport systems. We believe Canberra belongs to those best cities in the world, not among the also-rans catching up with the missed opportunities of their past.
Yes, light rail is a big budget item, as Mr Hanson continuously points out. Budgets, as we know, are about priorities. A project which simultaneously delivers on the key priorities of this government is a priority for our budget. Part of the government’s commitment to make sure this project is delivered to the highest standard is having the best qualified professionals we can attract.
Members interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Order, members! There is too much conversation. I can barely hear the Chief Minister.
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