Page 2362 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 30 July 2019
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clearly pointed to the State Circle route as an alternative which aligns with the original National Capital Plan and has the best chance of bi-partisan parliamentary support. The Government will soon finalise a referral for approval of the State Circle route under the Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act and we are optimistic that this change will mean we can get on with delivering Stage 2 of light rail sooner.
An alignment on the west side of State Circle passes Parliament House and various embassies, but it does not allow for a stop or connection to Parliament House or key employment centres. We are building a light rail network over 20 years. We are focused on connecting the main activity centres of Canberra—first with a north-south alignment and then with an east-west alignment—we will, in time, make further connections from these main town centres.
Overwhelming community and stakeholder feedback in 2017 reinforced the decision for light rail to connect Canberra’s north and Woden via the employment hubs, institutional and recreational facilities of Parkes and Barton. The ACT Government is considering all options to ensure we can deliver light rail to Woden as soon as possible and optimise the benefit to the Canberra community clearly.
In the meantime, 2019-20 ACT Budget investments include funding for work to begin on improving the Woden Bus Interchange and layover facilities to integrate with a new stage two light rail terminus, key early works to further support the delivery of Light Rail Stage 2.
The ACT Government is working to ensure we have sufficient transport infrastructure in place before increasing congestion impacts upon travel time and urban amenity. Light rail is providing a frequent and reliable public transport journey that can be maintained. Light rail will function as part of the broader transport network and this will consider the range of journeys that support the community to get around the city.
The government has committed to deliver light rail to connect to the Woden Town Centre as a major interchange point within the public transport network. Future extensions to the network are identified that may connect to Mawson, however there are a number of potential technical constraints on southern expansion of the network that will need to be explored before the government commits to a precise alignment. The Mawson Group Centre will be serviced in the immediate term by the Rapid bus network, providing direct and frequent public transport.
Transport Canberra advise that a future ‘third track’ is not an appropriate additional design requirement for the City to Woden alignment. Providing space for a future third track would significantly restrict the design outcome for some parts of the alignment and increase the cost of infrastructure.
Our integrated transport network will connect fixed and flexible transport modes, and an express bus service may better provide a connection, should patronage modelling indicate this is needed for the integrated transport network. A decision on the bus network will be made closer to the opening date of light rail to Woden, to take account of changing travel patterns across Canberra at this time.
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