Page 471 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 19 March 2014
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transformation of the city centre, commercial growth in the Gungahlin town centre and Dickson group centre, and a template for the transport system of the future.
In another example of the vision this government has for the city, we have embarked on the city to the lake project. This is a transformational project to better utilise the broad southern flank of the city—the ACT’s economic centre. The project area stretches from the West Basin to Anzac Parade, including the Canberra Olympic Pool, the existing convention centre and nearby large surface car parks. The project aims to create a new public waterfront for the city and to realise Commonwealth Park and City Hill as celebrated urban parks integrated within the centre of the city.
The project investigates a number of infrastructure elements, including improvements to Parkes Way to better connect the city and Lake Burley Griffin, and identifying and reserving potential locations for a new convention centre, a 30,000-plus-seat rectangular stadium—and we could imagine watching the Raiders and the Brumbies play there, Madam Speaker—and a regional aquatic centre. The project will also enhance the attractiveness of the city centre as an anchor for the first stage of the capital metro.
On Monday the Treasurer announced an additional $500,000—half a million dollars—towards the city to the lake initiative, specifically for the design and planning of the waterfront precinct at West Basin.
This government’s approach is to provide the full spectrum of infrastructure planning, recognising the critical importance that infrastructure has for Canberra’s future. Our infrastructure pipeline is strong and reflects our commitment to delivering high-quality infrastructure for the ACT community now and well into the future.
MR COE (Ginninderra) (10.16): I thank Dr Bourke for raising in the Assembly this important motion about infrastructure development here in the ACT. The opposition believe that governments have an important role in the provision, facilitation and delivering of infrastructure and consequently the maintenance thereof. However, it is unfortunate that in the last decade or so the ACT has had a pretty bad track record when it comes to the planning, construction and implementation of major infrastructure projects and, of course, the budget papers are littered with examples where projects have been poorly planned, dragged on for too long and have blown out in cost enormously.
One notable exception in the list that Dr Bourke highlighted in part (2) is, of course, the work undertaken at the Canberra Airport. The work done at the airport is a great example of what can happen when enterprises are given the scope and flexibility to be entrepreneurial in their response to demand in the market and to, in turn, generate additional growth and additional investment in our city.
Of course, all members here would be aware of the amazing new terminal at the Canberra International Airport which truly is a magnificent gateway for our city. I have tremendous pride when I am on a plane taxing to or from the runway and look across and see the wonderful new terminal. It really is a tremendous gateway for our city and a vast improvement on what was there when the airport was owned and operated by the commonwealth. It is a great example of what the private sector can do
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