Page 4262 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 27 November 2013
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Mr Smyth: There is no interjection from this side. Mr Hanson made a comment to me, and I made a comment back to him. They are not interjections. Perhaps the minister might like to lift his performance—sorry; the potential minister might like to lift his performance.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Smyth, your conversation with Mr Hanson is not helpful. It is a loud conversation. If you want to have conversation about something—I would not recommend that you both go out of the room, because I might have to call a quorum, but I do believe these conversations are not helpful—lower your voices or go outside. Dr Bourke, you have the floor.
Mr Hanson interjecting—
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Hanson, if you interject again, I am afraid I am going to warn you.
DR BOURKE: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Capital metro also promises to benefit all Canberrans, with the economic activity generated along its route, the different lifestyles new developments there will offer, and the lessening of the dependence on private transport for people living along the corridor.
I say unashamedly that the Gungahlin-Civic line relies over time on the build-up of higher density housing along Northbourne Avenue and flats already built, with more under construction along Flemington Road.
When I went to high school and university in Melbourne, I was a frequent user of Melbourne’s excellent tram system. I can say that the availability of comfortable—much more comfortable than the best buses—reliable, regular public transport along routes will drive this intensification over time and drive up government revenues from the sale of land and rates.
I say this unashamedly, because some recent commentary on the future of Canberra would lead you to believe that this government is imagining a city of flats—like Paris, beautiful in the centre, but with six-storey flats from the CBD to the outer edges. This is completely wrong. There will always be room for freestanding suburban houses with a front yard and a back yard; the kids’ basketball hoop; a vegie garden, even if you can only manage to grow silverbeet and parsley, like me; maybe a dog; or maybe chooks providing fresh eggs for breakfast. Do you prefer yours poached or fried?
It will not be that this is the only option on how to live. There will be higher density living around commercial areas, offering benefits to people who want to live that lifestyle close to services, shops, restaurants and cafes. The thing is that people living in the surrounding suburbs in their freestanding houses also benefit from those rejuvenated shopping centres and the local businesses that can be built on a larger consumer base. This was reflected in Minister Corbell’s comments when he talked about the uplift in land values along the light rail corridor.
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