Page 2740 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 16 September 2014

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Updating the $614 million figure to 2014 gives you a cost of approximately $665 million. Chief Minister, given your previous statement in June this year, why did cabinet then endorse a $783 million tramline?

MS GALLAGHER: My comments that I have made in relation to the costings for the capital metro project are consistent on a like-for-like comparison. The $614 million figure, when compared with the capital construction cost, or the capital construction estimate, as was released yesterday and will be released with the full business case, is consistent with those costs.

MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Ms Lawder.

MS LAWDER: Chief Minister, is the cost of building park and ride facilities at Well Station Drive, EPIC and Dickson factored into the $783 million cost estimate?

MS GALLAGHER: No, it is not.

MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Coe.

MR COE: Chief Minister, did you see a cost-benefit ratio for other routes before committing to the Gungahlin to the city option?

MS GALLAGHER: On all of the issues relating to this I am not going to get drawn into releasing the business case drip by drip. It will be released, as we have agreed, on 31 October.

MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Hanson.

MR HANSON: Chief Minister, why is the government pushing ahead with this $783 million project when our hospitals are full and described by senior clinicians as unsafe?

MS GALLAGHER: I welcome the supplementary from the Leader of the Opposition. In relation to the health infrastructure fund, the health infrastructure program, I can inform the Assembly that $878 million has been spent on hospital infrastructure over the last six years. I am happy to take members through that. It has included a new hospital for women and children, it has included extra capacity in the emergency department—

Mr Coe interjecting—

MS GALLAGHER: You might not want to hear this but let me answer the question. It included intensive care unit expansion, the Calvary hospital emergency department expansion, the Gungahlin community health centre and the Duffy House respite centre. We have the Belconnen and Tuggeranong walk-in centres, the Tuggeranong community health centre, the Belconnen community health centre, the Capital Region Cancer Centre, additional operating theatres at Canberra Hospital, additional beds at Canberra Hospital, the mental health assessment unit, the new PET scan, the


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