Page 1955 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 3 June 2015
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MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Wall.
MR WALL: Minister, why did you announce this $12 million net cut as a funding increase for ACT Policing?
MS BURCH: I thank Mr Wall for his question. The general saving measures have been in place for a number of years. Recently we have gone through the exercise of looking at what are the enabling costs of ACT Policing. We have come to the end of that. That will provide an extra $365,000 each year, if I am correct, in addition to the base of ACT Policing.
Roads—Ashley Drive
MS LAWDER: My question is to the Minister for Roads and Parking. Minister, the ACT government last week announced a $24.6 million duplication of Ashley Drive from Erindale Drive to Ellerston Avenue. This differs from an ACT Labor election commitment in 2012 which promised a duplication costing $19.6 million running from Erindale Drive through to Johnson Drive. The 2012 election commitment of ACT Labor also promised substantial funding of $9.2 million for this duplication in the 2014-15 financial year. Minister, why did the ACT government decide to end the duplication of Ashley Drive at Ellerston Avenue, and how much extra would it cost to go through to Johnson Drive?
MR GENTLEMAN: I thank Ms Lawder for her interest in road duplication in Tuggeranong. The Ashley Drive duplication is a very important piece of work. It is, of course, stage 2 of the Ashley Drive duplication; stage 1 has already been run out, with treatment works around the Erindale centre. The cost of the proposed work from Erindale through to Ellerston Avenue is $24.6 million. That will cover duplication of the road, which includes a dual carriageway, bridge work, pedestrian work and some pedestrian access that was not originally in the scope of work design for the duplication of Ashley Drive. So there is extra scope in the work, and it will be delivered as we have promised.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Ms Lawder.
MS LAWDER: Minister, what is the reason for the $5 million blowout in the project cost, despite the duplication being shortened?
MR GENTLEMAN: It is not a blowout. It is a projection of the cost for stage 2. There is an increased scope of works within that stage 2 and it is appropriate that you allocate the funding for that increased scope of works. It came up in consultation with the community on what they wanted to see within the scope of works for stage 2 of Ashley Drive.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Smyth.
MR SMYTH: Minister, how much extra would it have cost to continue from Ellerston Avenue to Johnson Drive?
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