Page 70 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 25 February 2014
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MR CORBELL: I thank Mr Gentleman for the supplementary. Yes, the light rail master plan is an important body of work as part of the broader capital metro project because it is about the forward planning that we need to do as a government and as a community to highlight possible extensions of the first Gungahlin-to-city link for capital metro. We need to look at further extensions. We need to look at issues around connecting to the parliamentary triangle and to places such as Russell, potentially the airport, and obviously points south of the lake, particularly our town centres south of the lake, Woden and Tuggeranong. These are all important considerations and the light rail master plan is designed to do that.
The government expects to appoint a consultant to undertake this work in late March. Technical analysis, options development and evaluation are expected to take place around the middle of the year. This will involve determining shortlisted routes and network options for a draft plan for community consultation. We will have a range of very important stakeholders as we undertake this work. I know, for example, the National Capital Authority is following this work very closely, but so are business and industry groups and organisations.
It is worth highlighting, for example, that the Canberra Airport Group, one of the major private sector investors in this town, one of the major drivers of private economic activity in this town, are strongly supportive of the capital metro project. They are lobbying for its expansion to the airport. They have taken a very proactive and positive view of the importance of this project. I welcome their interest in the capital metro project. I welcome their advocacy for possible extension. We will continue to work with the airport group and other private sector organisations and lobby groups as we progress this next body of important work.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Coe.
MR COE: Minister, why are you undertaking master plan work now, after you have chosen the first leg of the light rail project?
MR CORBELL: The reasons behind the selection of the Gungahlin to city route are well known and understood, and are the subject and the result of very detailed analysis that the government has previously laid on the table for all to see. Just to reiterate, for Mr Coe’s benefit, it is worth highlighting, of course, that the Gungahlin to city corridor is the fastest growing corridor of any of the transit corridors in Canberra. It is expected to see a rate of population increase which is five times that of any other part of the city. It is one of the most congested corridors in the city and business as usual is not an acceptable response to deal with congestion along the Northbourne Avenue corridor.
If Mr Coe and the Liberal Party are prepared to continue to consign residents of Gungahlin to congestion along Northbourne Avenue then I welcome their advocacy of that to the broader community. But this government has a vision and a plan to address congestion, to improve transit choices for all commuters, those who continue to use their car as well as those who will have the ability to use public transport, as well as those who choose to cycle and walk to work.
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