Page 1859 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 8 June 2016
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domestically and across the world where light rail systems are in operation. Introducing light rail to Canberra will make it possible for our city to contemplate a future without complete dependence on a car for mobility.
We are already seeing developments in the stage 1 transport corridor which can boast the benefits of light rail. We are attracting more attention from international investors who want to invest in our city because of the opportunities this project presents.
The project has already achieved results in the tertiary education sector. The University of New South Wales at ADFA has, for the first time, opened up its civil engineering courses to non-defence personnel. These are courses that are not offered in either of our two major universities. In addition, the Canberra Metro consortium will be offering various positions to these students to help further their education and their future careers. We are training new civil engineers in Canberra rather than people having to go interstate, because of this project. Those arguing that the project does not deliver any benefits to the community need to take stock of these and many more issues and realise that this will continue as construction commences.
We need a strong public transport system. By 2031 our city will be more than half a million people strong, and by 2050 there will be over 600,000 people living Canberra. We need to invest in public transport infrastructure that anticipates and plans for this future. Planning for this future in this way means we are making sustainable choices to continue our city’s livability and fairness and its attractiveness as a place to invest.
It is a simple matter of fact that in 2012 Labor’s commitment was clear: to “plan, finance and develop the first stage of a Light Rail Network” with “construction estimated to commence in 2016”. We have delivered on this election commitment, and we are on track for construction to commence in the year we said it would. More importantly, the scheduled time frame to complete construction will be in late 2018 to early 2019, which is even better than the conservative estimates in the government’s previous planning documents.
This project is in the best interests of our city. It is easy to oppose, to find fault, to criticise or to bemoan a false lack of information. But that is not what our city deserves. We are a unique, planned city. We need to build on this extraordinary legacy and our own unique identity and take pride in our heritage and the opportunities for an exciting future.
We should not shy away from big projects that can make a big difference. We should not wait for problems like traffic congestion to become unbearable before we act. The government is confident that light rail is and will be seen as the best option for our city. We have and hold to this conviction because we want to make sure that this city is ready for the challenges of creating a more sustainable future for all of its citizens. The government will not be supporting this motion today.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (4.37): I will respond to this motion quite quickly, and in the order of the issues that Mr Coe raises.
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