Page 2584 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 11 August 2015
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DR BOURKE: Minister, can you elaborate on the feasibility study being done on Horse Park Drive and associated works?
MR GENTLEMAN: I thank Dr Bourke for his question. Horse Park Drive plays an important role in distributing a large portion of Gungahlin traffic to the region’s south-east area via the Federal Highway and the Majura Parkway. With the completion of the Majura Parkway project in 2016 the attractiveness of Horse Park Drive as a key arterial link will only continue to increase. Horse Park Drive is traditionally a single carriageway, single lane arterial road, with some localised widening at key intersections to increase capacity and manage the current traffic volumes that we see growing now. The ACT’s strategic network plan for the road network identifies Horse Park Drive as a dual carriageway major arterial road in the future.
The feasibility study will determine the timing requirements, cost estimates and key design elements to accommodate the traffic generated by the growth of the Gungahlin region. The elements of the study will include the section of Horse Park Drive between the Federal Highway and Well Station Drive as well as the section between Anthony Rolfe Avenue and Gundaroo Drive. The section of Horse Park Drive between Well Station Drive and Anthony Rolfe Avenue is planned to be duplicated as part of the development of the Throsby infrastructure program. This will be delivered by the economic development directorate. Designs for the duplication of Horse Park Drive between Gundaroo Drive and Mulligans Flat Road were completed in 2013.
One of the key outcomes from the feasibility study will be the recommendations on the staging and timing requirements of the works to meet the demands of one of the fastest growing regions in the country.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Coe.
MR COE: Minister, what additional pressure is Majura Parkway putting on Fairbairn Avenue and what plans are there to change the road configuration to allow free-flowing traffic?
MR GENTLEMAN: I thank Mr Coe for his question. There is additional pressure on Fairbairn Avenue from the opening of Horse Park Drive until we see the completion of the bridges over Fairbairn. They will be completed, as I said, next year. So I agree, Mr Coe, that there is increased pressure on Fairbairn Avenue. That will be lightened next year once the completed bridges are in place. But there are some traffic management plans being worked through at the moment to see if we can facilitate some engagement along Fairbairn Avenue and lighten the traffic load there.
Health—services
MR WALL: My question is to the Minister for Health. Minister, new ACT Health directions require nurses to attend to some category 3, 4 and 5 patients based on time of arrival. The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation of the ACT is concerned that this direction breaches the nurses’ professional responsibility to see the most
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