Page 1988 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 5 August 2014
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MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Smyth.
MR SMYTH: Treasurer, will any of these services to be delivered through ICT be processed outside the ACT or include processing outside the ACT?
MR BARR: I think that will potentially depend on the location of servers. I would imagine that the bulk of transactions will take place within the ACT but I could not rule in or out anything at this stage. We will get best value for money for taxpayers. We will ensure that we can deliver services efficiently because, in the end, we wish to maximise the level of resource we can apply to community services, to our health system, to our education system, to our public transportation system—to the range of areas that the community expects us to focus on—and to minimise our administrative costs in order to maximise the level of resource we can apply to services that directly impact on the lives of Canberrans.
Roads—Ashley Drive
DR BOURKE: My question is to the Minister for Territory and Municipal Services: with the further 2014-15 budget allocation for stage 2 of the duplication of Ashley Drive in Tuggeranong, can you inform the Assembly of how this will progress this project?
MR RATTENBURY: Ashley Drive is an area where the government already has a range of works underway. The members who have driven out there recently will have seen the works taking place at the northern end of that corridor, particularly the end near the Erindale centre. We have just seen the opening of new traffic lights on the corner of Comrie Street and Ashley Drive, which have improved safety, particularly during the busy evening shopping peak period at the Erindale centre. They have just been opened in the past week or so, and the early indications are that they have been beneficial for commuters in that area.
In terms of the broader forward plans for Ashley Drive stage 2, which I think was the key part of Dr Bourke’s question—although I had trouble hearing him at the end with the interjecting that was going on—approximately 22,000 vehicles a day use Ashley Drive south of Erindale Drive, which is causing congestion issues. The forward design of stage 2 works started in late 2013. That includes the duplication of Ashley Drive from Johnson Drive to Erindale Drive, installation of traffic signals at a number of intersection as well as upgrade of other intersections and a range of other measures necessary to go with that, such as the duplication of bridges over existing pedestrian underpasses between Isabella Drive and Ashley Drive. That design work is currently underway and funds will be sought in future budget preparations.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Dr Bourke.
DR BOURKE: Minister, what is the current expected completion date for stage 1 of the project and what is this going to deliver to those travelling in Tuggeranong?
MR RATTENBURY: Yes, the stage 1 works are currently underway. In the 2013-14 budget $7 million was authorised for the construction of Ashley Drive upgrade stage 1
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