Transport Forum 2002...Transport Forum 2002...
On 16 August 2002 the ACT Liberals hosted a Transport Forum in the Gungahlin District.
ACT Liberals Press release announcing the transport forumDate: Friday, August 16, 2002
Author: Helen Cross (MLA)
Subject: ‘SEAMLESS MOBILITY’: CROSS TAKES TRANSPORT ISSUE TO GUNGAHLIN RESIDENTS
Gungahlin residents are urged to attend a transport forum to be held at the Ngun(n)awal Community Centre tomorrow focussing on the theme of ‘Seamless Mobility’.
Shadow Urban Services Minister and Molonglo MLA, Helen Cross, who will host the event, said it was designed to engage Gungahlin residents in a broad discussion about current and future transport requirements.
Guest speaker on the day will be international transport expert, Peter Moore. Mr Moore is the Executive Director of the International Association of Public Transport (Australia and New Zealand) and will discuss a number of innovative ideas he has for Canberra’s fastest growing suburb.
“The theme ‘Seamless Mobility’ is about getting people to travel around the city and carry out related activities with as little fuss as possible,” Mrs Cross said.
“I would encourage as many residents as possible to attend so we can gain a better understanding of what residents want now and in the future.
“This is a chance for Gungahlin residents to involve themselves in a long-term transport discussion where I hope ideas generated will help cater for Gungahlin as it continues to grow.
“The key players in the forum are local residents; it’s their opinion that counts,” Mrs Cross said. [Return to top]
Text of presentation delivered by Ian Ruecroft (President GCC)I would like to thank Helen very much for hosting the function and the work she is doing. Gungahlin is now more that 10 years old, its population is about 22,000 people. There are some current traffic problems but these are nothing compared to what we will have without a well planned strategy for Gungahlin’s development, especially in the area of transport. I believe that the main issues that need to be considered are; What will Gungahlin’s eventual population be; What will be Gungahlin’s employment base; What will be the role of public transport; and What road networks, or transport initiatives, are required to provide Gungahlin with equitable transport corridors.
Gungahlin’s eventual population:
Estimates of Gungahlin’s population range from 100,000 to 120,000 people. There is a necessity to identify the maximum population figure, and refocus planning efforts with the full knowledge of what the maximum population of Gungahlin actually will be. Gungahlin’s employment base:
Estimates of the size of the Gungahlin eventual employment base are hard to come by and I would appreciate any information that people have. From information available in 1997 we can see that the estimated population of Gungahlin was 114,000 with an employment base of 23,000. A town of 114,00 people will generate a number of job eg shops, garages, schools etc. To provide Gungahlin with the 23,000 estimated jobs, there is a need to do something more imaginative than counting all the jobs that were already existing in Mitchell, and hope that private enterprise will do the rest. Especially with the down sizing, relocation or closure of organisations like: Totalcare, National Archives and the (Mitchell) brickworks. Government employment has been a cornerstone of Canberra’s development. It provides security for retailers, commercial organisations and developers plus an endorsement of the Town Centre. The establishment of a government department is a long-term commitment with a realistic time frame of three years from agreement to operation. Since I have lived in Gungahlin the following departments have been established, relocated or substantially expanded: Taxation – Belconnen PALM – Dickson AGSO – Symsonon IP – Woden TransACT – Dickson Defence – Russell ACT Housing – Belconnen
We are also aware that there is another three Departments that are currently considering relocation to Woden. We understand that at least one of these, requires a six story building. In addition we have seen the relocation of the Department of Statistics, which will probably put on the market buildings which can easily be refurbished and offered as available office space.
Canberra didn’t happen because people wanted to shift here. None of the other town centres would have survived if the government had not shown commitment to the area by locating extensive employment bases at their early stages of development. It is now Gungahlin’s turn. We need a comprehensive employment plan that provides us with an equitable employment base. To make it happen is going to cost money, comparatively the same as it cost in other areas. What will be the role of public transport:
Public transport has to be an important part of planning for Gungahlin and other areas of the ACT. It isn’t good enough to say “providing roads for Gungahlin is too difficult and expensive, so they can use the bus”.
At this time of Gungahlin’s development there are real opportunities to commit to public transport options that will attract employment to the area and influence people to come to the Gungahlin to live. What I mean by this is - that a commitment to light rail (or another quality mass transport option) will encourage people to the area who are in a position where the second car may be a convenience they can do without. It may also encourage organisation, looking to establish or relocate in Canberra, to look at Gungahlin as an area with stability, endorsement, modern infrastructure and long-term vision. Indications are that a large proportion of the cost to build the light rail link from Civic to Gungahlin could be recouped from additional land revenue received for sale of land adjacent to the light rail corridor. Other new technologies are also an option, but the longer the delays in making a commitment to a quality public transport solution, the less money will be recouped from additional land revenue in Gungahlin, to help pay for it. Other cheaper and less visionary options are available which could include: A bus only lane down the middle of Northbourne Avenue; Extending Phillip Avenue to Ainslie Avenue and making it a bus only lane from Hackett onwards; Putting a bus only lane down the (yet to be developed) Gungahlin Drive extension and Belconnen Way/ Barry Drive and the Glenlock interchange; Committing to a quality park and ride program; or Providing free public transport to the disadvantaged areas, namely Tuggeranong and Gungahlin, until such time as equitable transport solutions are achieved.
Any of these options could help Gungahlin’s growing transport problems, but only if they are coupled with all the necessary infrastructure to provide a dedicated express transport link from Gungahlin to the places of employment. The service must be attractively priced, reliable and have reasonable travel times. People will not take the bus and sit in gridlock on Northbourne Avenue. It doesn’t matter how nice the bus looks or whether it has all the bells and whistles. If it can’t get you to work on time, you will look for an alternative. Providing Gungahlin with equitable transport corridors
I have distributed a yellow paper that includes an article from the Gunsmoke (for those that don’t know this is a newsletter, which is distributed by the GCC to all Gungahlin households). This article contains information that can be used to indicate how many road lanes are required to provide Gungahlin with equitable transport corridors. Obviously the number of lanes would change if there were a light rail system, monorail, guided bus network or some other visionary element that assisted Gungahlin with its transport needs. Otherwise the calculations are there. There is a limit to how many cars and busses you can park on Northbourne Avenue and we are fairly close to reaching that limit now. Knowing that there could be another eighty to one hundred thousand people yet to come to Gungahlin, there is a need to take a look at our progress to date and our vision for the future. [Return to top] | 
