ACT Light Rail do not think that the ACT Government have been effective with their communications strategy regarding developments in the Capital Metro light rail project. There is a great deal of information in this Hansard record of debate in our Legislative Assembly. Rather than opine on it, we offer it in full for your own analysis.
The response by Minister Corbell is particularly informative. The questions that Mr Coe posed were answered recently, and will be placed online shortly.
Legislative Assembly for the ACT:
2013 Week 2 Hansard (13 February) Page 540 to 549
Transport—light rail
MR COE (Ginninderra) (6.09): I move:
That
this Assembly:
(1)
notes the Government's commitment to construct light rail; and
(2)
calls on the Government to table by the last sitting day in February:
(a)
the expenditure to date, broken down by financial year, on external sources
including consultancies, reports and studies;
(b)
the internal expenditure to date, broken down by financial year, on internal
sources and the number of public service staff working on the project and in
what agencies;
(c)
the timeline for the decision-making and construction progress;
(d)
the expected cost to taxpayers of pre-construction and construction;
(e)
the predicted patronage, running costs and staffing once operational;
(f)
the population within reasonable walking distance of a light rail stop;
(g)
plans for park and ride facilities;
(h)
the financial models for funding the project; and
(i)
what feedback was received from Infrastructure Australia as a result of the
2008-09 federally funded proposal.
Madam
Speaker, I stand here today to ask serious questions about the Labor-Greens
commitment to construct light rail in Canberra.
In
early November last year, following the agreement signed by the Chief Minister
and Shane Rattenbury, the government undertook to review light rail in the ACT.
Mr Rattenbury is quoted in the Canberra
Times on 3 November last year as saying:
Light
rail will come to this city as a result of this agreement. Canberrans will see
works commence during the course of this term of the assembly.
We
in the opposition will be scrutinising this agreement and, in particular, from
my perspective as shadow minister for transport, the commitment to construct
light rail.
The
thought of light rail in Canberra is not a new proposition. Of course, Walter
Burley Griffin designed Canberra with wide boulevards to provide for private
vehicle traffic, many with space for the provision of a bus way or tramway at a
later point in time. Since those days of the early development of Canberra,
light rail has been considered countless times as an alternative transport mode
in the city.
Today,
the cause has many passionate advocates—such as ACT Light Rail, convened by
Damien Haas. It is my belief that people like the idea of light rail, but the
realities of the cost of construction, patronage and running costs are still
major hurdles that need to be overcome.
In
the 2008 election, the Canberra Liberals undertook that if we won the election
and won government we would conduct an engineering study to provide more
information about the feasibility of construction. After all, it is very
difficult to do a cost-benefit study if neither the costs nor the benefits are
known.
I
believe the government has jumped the gun by giving an absolute guarantee to
Canberra to construct light rail before the all the facts are known. The
government has not committed to simply doing studies, research or costings. It
has committed to delivering light rail in Canberra. This is a bold and
courageous commitment and one I think it will struggle to honour.
The
Labor Party said in media releases:
If
re-elected, ACT Labor has committed to establish Canberra's first large-scale
private sector partnership to plan, finance and develop the first stage of a
light rail network starting from Gungahlin to the City.
The
opposition have already flagged serious concerns about the cost and patronage
of light rail, and we want to see evidence. If the opposition are to support
the government in this endeavour, like all issues, the case has to be made.
My
motion today is about this case. The government should deliver to the
opposition—and, through the Assembly, all Canberrans—information about the
project. I have asked for the expenditure to date on external and internal
sources, the time line for the decision-making and construction process, the
expected cost to taxpayers of pre-construction and construction, the predicted
patronage, running costs and staffing once operational, the population within
reasonable walking distance of light rail stops, the plans for park-and-ride
facilities, the financial models for funding the project, and what feedback was
received from Infrastructure Australia as a result of the 2008-09 federally
funded proposal, which failed. These are all reasonable questions to ask and
they should be able to be answered.
In
the current budget, the government states:
The
City to Gungahlin Transit Corridor Study is currently investigating the feasibility
of replacing the existing bus service between Gungahlin and the City with a
light rail transit or bus rapid transit corridor along Northbourne Avenue and
Flemington Road.
So
work has been done and is being done, but we have not got answers. The questions
I propose in this motion I think should be able to be answered. If not, I would
like a reason why not. Taxpayers deserve the information and I hope this motion
will achieve this.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for Police
and Emergency Services, Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations
and Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development) (6.13): I move:
Omit
paragraphs (1) and (2), substitute:
"(1)
notes that the ACT Government is committed to delivering the Capital Metro
project for Canberra;
(2)
notes that:
(a)
construction of a light rail network will be one of the biggest and most
complex capital works projects undertaken in the ACT;
(b)
the construction of a light rail network in Canberra will bring major benefits
to the people of Canberra and will be a transformative project for our City;
(c)
the Capital Metro project will improve transport access and mobility for the
community, especially through its integration with the broader transport network;
(d)
the Capital Metro project will deliver environmental benefits via emissions
reductions through mode shift from private vehicles to public transport; and
(e)
the Capital Metro project will be a catalyst for urban renewal along the
corridors and in our town centres; and
(3)
notes that:
(a)
the Government is committed to a high level of transparency and will
progressively release information about the Capital Metro project as it is
developed;
(b)
a substantial body of work has already been undertaken to inform the progress
of Capital Metro, including the Concept Design Report and strategic transport
modelling and economic and financial appraisal;
(c)
the Government is committed to continuing its thorough planning and
investigations including such studies as the Light Rail Integration Study, for
which tenders have now been called, and the Light Rail Product Identification
Study to be commenced in April this year;
(d)
the Government has released an indicative timeline through the Concept Design
Report and has committed to laying the first light tracks by 2016 through the
Parliamentary Agreement;
(e)
the people of Canberra will be given many opportunities to be involved in this
project as it progresses, through an ongoing program of public consultation;
and
(f)
the Government will continue to work to achieve a long term vision for Canberra
as a sustainable city, with the Capital Metro light rail network as a vital
element of that vision.".
I
am pleased to speak today on the government's commitment to delivering a light
rail system for Canberra. The government has committed to progressing a light
rail network for Canberra, with construction to commence in 2016 and
preliminary construction, including utility relocation, to occur from 2015.
The
government's commitment to the delivery of rapid transit links between the
Gungahlin town centre and the city was first announced in the 2012-13 budget.
This commitment was reaffirmed during the most recent ACT election and its
priority entrenched in the parliamentary agreement for the Eighth Assembly
between the ACT Labor Party and the ACT Greens.
Capital
metro stage 1 will be a light rail service, with vehicles capable of carrying
up to 200 people at regular frequencies along a 12-kilometre route from
Hibberson Street in Gungahlin to the city centre. The proposal involves
potentially major stations at Gungahlin town centre and Dickson group centre,
with high-quality stops 750 metres to 1.5 kilometres apart at various points
along Flemington Road and Northbourne Avenue, terminating in the city.
Investment
in rapid transit along the Gungahlin to city corridor, through the additional
transport capacity and urban amenity benefits it would provide, has the
potential to unlock a number of economic development opportunities. The light
rail project will increase the transport capacity of existing corridors.
There
are few viable options available to increase capacity outside of existing road
corridors. During peak periods, existing bus services operating along
Northbourne Avenue carry more passengers than all car passengers combined in a
traffic lane. An investment in light rail will allow the carrying capacity of
the corridor to be significantly increased, providing vital capacity to cater
for future growth and, by using an existing corridor, optimising the use of
existing infrastructure.
The
light rail will promote economic productivity and stimulate economic activity
through urban redevelopment. Therefore a number of opportunities are being
investigated to increase residential and commercial densities along the corridor
on sites which are significantly underdeveloped. These include public housing
redevelopments, the Dickson group centre and the potential redevelopment of
land currently occupied by EPIC and the racecourse.
As
a key landowner, and as the land manager under the leasehold system, a unique
opportunity exists for the ACT government to both directly and indirectly
encourage urban renewal along the corridor, and indeed at the key anchor points
of Gungahlin and the city.
Providing
additional transport capacity is a significant enabler of promoting further
development of these sites, allowing for the better use of existing land
capacity within the corridor. The light rail network will enhance the
sustainability of our development patterns.
As
part of the project, the government will actively support transit-oriented
development. This will include a mix of activities along the corridor, with the
aim of encouraging a greater level of localised trips, which are more likely to
be undertaken through walking and cycling. Where intertown travel is required
to connect with employment hubs, faster and more reliable public transport
services, facilitated by light rail, will encourage greater use of public
transport.
The
project is also economically efficient. A preliminary cost-benefit analysis
undertaken suggests that, despite the higher cost of delivery, rapid transit
has the potential to be economically viable. The preliminary economic appraisal
showed that light rail under a "business as usual"population scenario
delivers a benefit-cost ratio of just over one. By prioritising residential and
employment growth along the corridor and within the Gungahlin town centre and
city areas, in line with the government's planning strategy and transport for
Canberra plan, the benefit-cost ratio increases to above two. That ratio
represents an economically viable project, which, given the transformational
capacity of light rail, is highly worthy of delivery.
The
development of a light rail system will represent a significant capital
investment in transport infrastructure and will implement the government's
strategies and actions identified in Transport for Canberra and the planning
strategy.
However,
the real value of the capital metro project is in enabling transformation of
how the city develops and its capacity to encourage growth in economic
activity, particularly at the anchor points in the city and Gungahlin, as well
as along the corridor.
The
aim of the government, as outlined in our parliamentary agreement, is to
commence construction by 2016. In order to meet this deadline, work has already
commenced. Feasibility projects completed up to January 2013 include concept
planning and transport engineering of light rail transit alignment options,
including kerbside and median alignment; evaluation of certain options; land
use development scenarios; government agency stakeholder consultations; the
release of project update 1, informing the public on the progress of the
project; concept design reports; community consultations during April-May 2012;
the release of project update 2; the facilitation of six community information
sessions in Civic, Dickson and Gungahlin, including surveys, social research,
public submissions and meetings with industry and community stakeholders; the
development of strategic transport modelling to support economic evaluation;
economic and financial appraisal; peer review of strategic transport modelling;
cost estimation of options; options evaluation; the development of a nation
building 2 program for co-contribution from the commonwealth; the release of
project update 3 in September last year; further refinements to light rail
route alignments to achieve savings in the order of approximately $100 million;
and investigations into catenary-free and wireless light rail technology.
This
highlights that there have already been a considerable number of projects
undertaken on which we will continue to need to work in harmony to facilitate
the broader objective of a transit outcome, particularly focusing on land
planning and development, public housing provision and affordable housing.
These
projects aim not only to provide significant revenue streams to government
which support the broader provision of government services but also to
transform the territory by stimulating its economy through private and public
investment, diversification of employment and residential centres, promotion of
new employment sectors, and increased wellbeing of residents.
In
July last year the government submitted to Infrastructure Australia a business
case in support of a request for a co-contribution matching the territory's
commitment of $15 million to fund further preliminary design works and
feasibility assessments. The business case included a preliminary cost-benefit
analysis focusing on the traditional and more readily monetised economic costs
and benefits that could be expected to accrue. Over the coming weeks, at the
invitation of the commonwealth, further revisions of the business case will
occur to pick up our latest understanding of the wider economic benefits that
are expected to accrue to the territory economy.
Gungahlin
to city is the first part of a broader light rail network for Canberra which
has the potential to ultimately link town centres and major employment areas as
well as potentially servicing Queanbeyan and other parts of the broader region.
The light rail network master plan will be undertaken in the next 18 months to
identify suitable light rail corridors across Canberra for future expansion.
These corridors will be based on the work underpinning the rapid network
established in transport for Canberra. Work is also underway within the capital
metro project office on a range of preliminary engineering investigations,
transport planning, and economic and financing studies to guide the future
development of the project.
One
of the first projects since the election is the light rail integration study.
Tenders to conduct that study are being evaluated and the study is expected to
commence shortly. The study will investigate the integration of the light rail
system into the broader public transport network and will inform the
preliminary design of the project to be undertaken over the next one to two
years. There will be opportunities for community input into all aspects of the
project as this work proceeds.
Residential
development and commercial development along the corridor are critical to
support the overall economic benefits of this project. Capital metro will
achieve its broad range of policy objectives by ensuring that it is considered
not just as a transport project or a land development or infrastructure project
but as one that brings all elements of our metropolitan context together.
The
government has commenced the investigative process of assessing the procurement
and financing options for the light rail infrastructure and operations,
including the issue of public-private partnerships. As part of this process, we
will be approaching the marketplace once we have developed an appropriate level
of preliminary design to provide sufficient information to effectively and
efficiently engage with the market. We will also be undertaking detailed risk
analysis to understand and manage the risk presented by the project and
identify appropriate strategies for risk mitigation.
As
part of this work, we have also commenced the preliminary investigation for
what will become the property strategy for the corridor. The urban
redevelopment of this corridor will be transformative, providing a stimulus and
confidence in the market for development and growth along it and at its
terminus nodes in Gungahlin and the city. The work to understand the
appropriate land release sequencing—including appreciating potential yields on
the corridor; demand volumes and patterns, particularly around housing
preference in the corridor; and demographic trends and the establishment of
population and density targets—is well underway.
We
will be developing a land release model that is able to immediately react to
market requirements, a land release model that is attentive to the social and
environmental impacts of urban renewal but that also supports affordable
housing choices.
The
government are aiming high with this project. We aim to put in place a
framework that will safeguard high-quality sustainable design while encouraging
efficient and sustainable land use. The project is not only about government
investment; it is also about understanding and engaging the role of the private
sector in achieving the outcomes sought.
Given
the relationship of various elements of this project to the daily work
undertaken by other areas of government, there will be close coordination
across all government agencies that have a stake. For example, the property
strategy will have strong linkages with a number of government policies and
strategies, including the planning strategy, Transport for Canberra, relevant
city planning projects and broader public health objectives.
The
capital metro project is a multifaceted initiative, and its scope and nature
are unlike anything previously managed by any previous government. It
represents a vision for our future, not only in the way by which the people of
the territory get about during their daily lives but, more fundamentally, in
the way we think of ourselves and our city. A public transport network
incorporating modern, efficient and integrated light rail services is the
hallmark of a mature and confident city. It is that maturity and confidence,
reflected in greater amenity, economic activity and an enhanced sense of
wellbeing, that we are determined to deliver to the Canberra community. There
first stage of the project is a critical step along that path.
I
commend my amendment to the Assembly.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (6.25): I thank Mr Coe for
raising in the Assembly the issue of light rail. This is, of course, a topic in
which I and the Greens have a very strong interest, not just in the ACT but all
around Australia as part of our commitment to improving public transport and
building more sustainable and liveable cities. In the ACT the Greens released
our light rail for Canberra policy before the 2012 election, and developing
Canberra's first light rail route became a key item in the Labor-Greens
parliamentary agreement. Going forward we have the capital metro project, the shared
goal of the Labor and Greens members of this Assembly and one that springboards
from various studies and investigations done on light rail over many years.
Recently
I had the nostalgic experience of watching a video from 1992 which was part of
the sustainable Canberra project. That video made the case for light rail in
Canberra as a way of improving our public transport, addressing urban sprawl
and car dependence, reducing pollution and capturing the benefits of urban
villages. It is now 20 years later, yet the problems we face now are strikingly
similar. Only now the imperative to act is even stronger. We need to make our
city more sustainable and liveable and also make our economy more resilient to
pressures such as peaking oil supplies as well as the need to reduce our
greenhouse gas emissions in the face of climate change.
The
ACT Greens have supported light rail because we believe the ongoing benefits of
this system make it the best choice, particularly over the long term as our
city grows and develops. Light rail is not just about the Gungahlin corridor,
although that is where a lot of Canberra's growth is occurring. In line with
the parliamentary agreement, the government is set to progress a light rail
master plan detailing how and when the network will extend across Canberra to
places like Woden, Tuggeranong and Belconnen. In light of the time today, I am
trying to shorten my comments.
There
are, of course, a range of recognised benefits to light rail, such as its
ability to attract more passengers than buses, its additional speed and
reliability and its compatibility with renewable energy as well as things like
the sparks effect and the urban shaping effects, but I will talk about those
more some other time. But all of these benefits are well researched, well
documented and generally accepted.
The
Liberal Party in Western Australia recently announced a large light rail
project for Perth of which the Greens have been vocal supporters. The Western
Australian Liberal Party are proud of their project, and their transport
minister described it in glowing terms as:
...
a transformational investment in public transport by our Government which will
give the people of Perth access to the type of public transport offerings that
exist in major cities all over the world.
A
point I want to emphasise is that big projects such as capital metro and the
Perth light rail project need to go through long and detailed stages of
development, so not all of the information that Mr Coe is asking for today is
available in its final detail.
Much
of it is covered in work already made public, but certainly not all. It is the
same in Western Australia; the Liberal Party transport minister has not yet
explained how his government will finance its light rail project. Likewise,
technical and engineering details will need to be finalised. These projects,
naturally, go through staging, and, just like the Canberra metro project,
details are refined as the project progresses. It does not mean there is some
conspiracy to secrecy or mismanagement; the intention is for all staged work to
come together in a well-planned and well-implemented project.
At
this stage of the capital metro project, I am satisfied that it is progressing
sensibly. Just over the last year or so we have had three concept reports on the
Gungahlin-city corridor, and a lot of the information requested in Mr Coe's
motion is already in those reports. That said, it will certainly remain a focus
of mine to ensure that this capital metro project remains transparent and that
there is significant public engagement and consultation. I believe these sorts
of qualities will be key to the success of the project.
On
that basis, I will be supporting the amendment put forward by Mr Corbell. It
recommits to a high level of transparency and ongoing public consultation as
well as the release of information when it is available. Again, I believe this
is the essence of Mr Coe's motion between what has already been made publicly
available and a commitment to continue to make the information available. I think
the spirit of what Mr Coe is seeking in his motion will be delivered, and I
will be supporting Mr Corbell's amendment.
MR COE (Ginninderra) (6.29): I am disappointed that both
ministers will be supporting the amendment. It is disappointing they are not agreeing
to take on the questions I have put forward. I understand some of the answers
to questions would be estimates; I understand some of the answers would not be
exact. But I still think there is an expectation in the community that the
government should have a fair idea of the answers to each of the questions
listed in my motion. I am disappointed. We will, of course, be voting against
the amendment, but I welcome the additional information provided by Minister
Corbell and Minister Rattenbury in today's debate.
Question
put:
That
Mr Corbell's amendment
be agreed to.
The
Assembly voted—
Ayes 9: Mr Barr Ms Berry Dr Bourke
Ms Burch Mr Corbell Ms Gallagher Mr Gentleman Ms Porter Mr Rattenbury
Noes 8: Mr Coe Mr Doszpot Mrs
Dunne Mr Hanson Mrs Jones Mr Seselja Mr Smyth Mr Wall
Question
so resolved in the affirmative.
Question
put:
That
Mr Coe's motion, as
amended, be agreed to.
The
Assembly voted—
Ayes 9: Mr Barr Ms Berry Dr Bourke
Ms Burch Mr Corbell Ms Gallagher Mr Gentleman Ms Porter Mr Rattenbury
Noes 8: Mr Coe Mr Doszpot Mrs
Dunne Mr Hanson Mrs Jones Mr Seselja Mr Smyth Mr Wall
Question
so resolved in the affirmative.
Motion,
as amended, agreed to.
