Page 557 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 17 February 2016
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(b) public statements from the ACT Government indicate that the value of the Annual Availability Payment will not be known until the ACT Government signs a contract to build Capital Metro; and
(c) the public have a right to know the extent of the light rail liability before any agreement is entered into by the Government; and
(2) calls on the ACT Government to disclose by the last sitting day of March the estimated value of the Annual Availability Payment.
Today I again call for the release of financial details of the ACT government’s capital metro program. The availability payment comprises the total cost of constructing, operating and financing capital metro over a 20-year period. It is an annual payment made by the ACT government to Canberra Metro.
As you would be aware, Madam Speaker, light rail is the largest infrastructure project ever considered by an ACT government. It is right, proper and transparent that Canberrans should know the cost of light rail before this government enters into an intergenerational agreement. That is something I hope to achieve with my motion today.
The value of this payment is, for the most part, the total cost to the ACT taxpayer of the capital metro project. It is this figure that will ultimately determine the cost of constructing capital metro, with included or embedded financing costs. For this reason it is necessary for the government to release the estimated value of the availability payment by the last sitting day in March. I believe that is a reasonable request. There should be no more denial to the people of Canberra. It is time to be honest with the people of Canberra. Do the decent thing and let taxpayers know how much they will be paying for this government’s commitment.
It is, of course, prudent to point out that the availability payment does not capture all the costs associated with this government’s project. Funding for the Capital Metro Agency is not included in these payments. The government will also do a lot of associated works, such as funding a new interchange at Dickson, park-and-ride stations along the route, as well as parking changes in the city to accommodate construction workers working on the project. Also, there are additional infrastructure or utility upgrades which may not be directly related to the route but will absolutely be necessary in order for the project to attain genuine operability.
The Canberra Liberals continue to oppose this government’s plan for light rail. We do not believe it is sensible to spend $700 million on the construction of a transport project that will carry less than one per cent of Canberrans to work or school every morning, as well as increase congestion along the route. Instead the opposition recognises the competing priorities for the ACT government, and future ACT governments; therefore we believe we have to respect BCRs and other alternatives as achieving a better outcome for all Canberrans.
This should, of course, be a motion that Mr Rattenbury supports. It is not a motion that says, “Stop doing light rail.” This is not a motion that says, “Light rail is a bad
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