Page 1744 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 4 June 2014
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
its delivery. We will lay out revisions and assessments around all of the issues that are, I know, matters of significant public interest before making a final decision on this project.
This project is important for Canberra, because it is about delivering better transport, not just for those who use it but for everyone who is using the transport network. It is about reducing congestion, reducing travel delay. If you are coming down the Federal Highway, if you are coming down Northbourne Avenue, if you are coming down the Barton Highway, if you are coming down Ginninderra Drive, if you are coming down Barry Drive—these are all roads that will see their overall performance improved by reducing congestion on Northbourne Avenue.
But, at the same time, we are also about delivering jobs. This project delivers jobs during construction—over 3½ thousand jobs that are going to be so important at a time when our economy is facing a significant downturn. (Time expired.)
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Gentleman.
MR GENTLEMAN: Minister, how much progress has been made so far on this project?
MR CORBELL: The government is moving rapidly and in a very determined way to ensure that delivery of this project meets the time frames set out by the government. The Capital Metro Agency has been established. It is now up and running and we have a fantastic team of highly skilled and experienced people—both people who have come from other parts of Australia and bring their experience and expertise to Canberra as well as those who have deep knowledge and experience of issues and transport planning and transport delivery here in the city itself. So that is a fantastic capability that has been ramped up very quickly.
The light rail integration study has been undertaken by SMEC consultants and this allows us to start doing the modelling on integrating light rail with other public transport services, in particular the bus network, which is going to be so important in terms of connectivity. This is a project that is not light rail or bus, this is about light rail and bus. This is about integrating the transport network as a whole. This is about making sure that people can move more efficiently around the city.
Of course, we commenced the light rail master plan exercise that is identifying the land use planning considerations for future extensions of the Gungahlin to city line so that they can be properly taken into account in our strategic and statutory planning documents. And there has been detailed work on base case designs and on scoping assessments.
All of this work is now coming to the next stage where the government will be reaching out to the broader community and giving them further details about design issues, station stops and locations, designs of stations, frequency of service—all of the issues that the community needs to have their say about so that we can progress this project. (Time expired.)
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Ms Porter.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video