Page 2887 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 14 August 2018
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There is still no commitment from the Labor-Greens government to compensate local businesses for the months of disruption and damage that light rail construction has caused. The livelihoods of small business owners and their employees are still in the balance. After finally bowing to pressure from this side of the chamber, the government announced it would investigate the effects of light rail construction on businesses along the route. But like so much of what this government calls consultation, it looks like little more than a box-ticking exercise.
Now we find out that the study will only cover the Gungahlin town centre and only for the first two weeks of August. The government still has not told businesses who they need to contact or how. There will also be a very short window of time for owners to let the government know just how badly their businesses have been damaged and how badly their employees will be affected by light rail construction. A street party at the end of construction will be cold comfort for local business owners who have had to cut back and to the staff who have lost their jobs as customers have gone elsewhere.
Canberrans have still not seen a detailed business case for stage 2 of light rail. The government continues to ask us to trust that stage 2 will bring economic benefits, but it has not provided anything to back up these claims. The Pegasus Economics review of the 2018-19 budget called for further information on the potential expense and capital implications of stage 2 for future budgets. In other words, the government has not yet told the public the full story about what stage 2 is going to cost.
One thing we can be sure of is that if stage 2 goes ahead it will mean longer travel times from the south to the city. If light rail stage 2 goes through the parliamentary triangle, the city to Woden journey will take longer than current bus routes. When the government has been asked about what light rail stage 2 will mean for southern residents the government has fudged the answer: “It is a different route. The light rail route does different things. It’s not just about Woden to the city.” Just be honest—the trip is going to take longer. Just like its proposed changes to the bus network, it is going to mean longer journeys and more time away from home for families.
The other major transport project is the government’s current redesign of the bus network. The centrepiece of the redesign is more frequent rapid services throughout the day, but this appears to have been pursued with a single-minded intent, stripping away anything that does not suit that goal. Express services will go. School services will go. Suburban services used by the elderly, mobility impaired and those facing disadvantage will all go.
The minister spoke about active travel, which is great for those who can be active. However, people with limited mobility will be amongst the hardest hit by the government’s changes to the transport network. Seniors and people living with disability rely on easy access to regular public transport to maintain their independence and engagement with the community.
The government has been selling its changes based on the idea that 55 per cent of people will be within walking distance of the nearest rapid stop. What is walking
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