Page 3726 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 29 October 2014
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capital, as a city that is worthy of transport options, just like any other major city? Travel around Australia, travel around the world, and you will see in most cities, particularly national capitals, that there are a range of transport options available for people. Where infrastructure such as light rail has been put in, the city has benefited, not just from having an efficient transport system but from the development and confidence in the city that that development brings with it.
We have no doubt of the strong arguments for a rapid public transport network from Gungahlin to the city. We have no doubt that capital metro, when it starts, will be well used. In fact, it will attract people who at the moment might not think they will use it to use it, and we see that wherever light rail has been started across the country. What the community does not understand from those who oppose it is: what are the options? The do nothing option is not an option, unless you are prepared to let Northbourne Avenue choke up, the inner north suburbs have rat running all through them and people sitting in cars for an hour each day one way in and an hour on the way home to get out of the city and back home to the north of Canberra.
If that is the position then just say it. Say it so that we can all understand it. If it is going to be rapid bus, say that, but then explain how you would run an efficient rapid bus on Northbourne without causing major upheaval to the way Northbourne Avenue works. Say that and let us have an honest debate in the city, not a one-way political debate.
MR BARR (Molonglo—Deputy Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Housing and Minister for Tourism and Events) (11.00): The government is building Canberra’s most important public transport project, acting on a century-old vision for the national capital. A well-planned light rail system will do more than move people between origin and destination. It will relate to every aspect of the corridor—housing, amenity, connectivity for people and streetscapes, and surrounding businesses. There are many examples around the world of light rail being a catalyst for urban renewal. The Centre for Economic Development and Research at the University of North Texas shows, for example, that the Dallas area rapid transit light rail generated developments worth $4.3 billion in 10 years of operation, whilst in Dublin homes near the light rail attract a premium of 10 to 20 per cent.
In the 1990s downtown Hayward in San Francisco was characterised by beleaguered businesses and largely disused surface car parks. Its transformation was driven by the demand for housing and employment near the Hayward rapid transit station and within the corridor. Hayward now provides a range of housing options, including affordable units and senior housing within walking distance of the station, as well as new schools, entertainment and amenities, with residents of new housing being six times more likely to commute by transit than residents city-wide.
Portland, Oregon, is widely regarded as the poster child for the success of urban renewal driven by light rail. The success of Portland’s light rail system, and the renewal it has generated, can be traced back to an explicit decision to move away from being a car-centric city dominated by congestion and pollution to become a city for its people. These catalyst decisions were made decades ago. Single-term thinking
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