Page 2806 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 13 August 2019
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
emergency, we should not be buying buses that burn fossil fuels. I was very pleased to hear that Minister Steel investigated low emission buses during his trip to the US.
Talking about buses, the estimates committee made a couple of specific recommendations about them which have received very annoying non-answers. Recommendation 140 was that the ACT government ensure that public transport is provided to all new estates and significant recreational facilities such as Stromlo park. The government’s response was:
TCCS will continue to work across Government to plan and coordinate the provision of bus services to new estates.
I am sure they will. Nobody really doubts that. The point that the estimates committee was trying to make was that business as usual is not good enough. When you move to a new place, you need to work out how you are going to get to and from there. If there is no bus service, you will do something else.
In particular, Stromlo park looks like it could be a really wonderful recreational facility, but I do not want to see parents in south Canberra being pestered by their kids to drive them to Stromlo park because that is the only way they can get there. I do not want to see the adults who will use it decide: “Yep, the only way I can get to this is to drive.” Currently, that looks like it will be the position.
We also recommended that the ACT government review the bus network, with the specific intention of improving journey times. The government agreed, but its answer is a non-answer:
TCCS is constantly reviewing data from the new network in order to continue to improve services.
I do know that this is true to some extent. I am a regular bus user and I would have to say that when network 19 started it was vastly the case that there were not enough R4s. We now basically have enough R4s. It is probably only once or twice a week that I see a bus go past me with the sign saying “full”, and not picking up passengers. It would be nice to make the commitment to do a full review.
Moving to light rail, we welcome the commitment of $49 million for initial work on light rail stage 2. It is important that whatever is planned for this serves the residents of south Canberra as well as residents of the whole of Canberra. In particular, and speaking as a user of the R4, I assume it will be an improvement on the current R4.
The money also includes design work for a new Woden bus interchange, which has been talked about for many years. Clearly, with many thousands of residents expected in the Woden town centre over the next five to 10 years due to the number of apartments being built, we need better public transport to and from Woden. With respect to the people of northern Canberra, I am less aware of the funding for the Mitchell rail stop. It seems like a good idea.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video