The ACT Greens have welcomed Government moves to address drink driving and drug driving in the Territory.

“The Greens are strongly committed to improving road safety in the ACT.  With both the Labor and Liberal parties now proposing legislation for drug driving testing, we have an excellent opportunity to work constructively together in order to develop the best legislation possible,” Greens Transport spokesperson, Amanda Bresnan said today.

”There are some important and detailed questions to be resolved for drug driving legislation – the Assembly needs to resolve the practicalities of these questions, and avoid political posturing on this issue.”

“The question is how to best implement this policy which has broad community and political support.  In particular, we hope that the Government considers the drug driving enforcement model of Tasmania, which we consider to be the best practice model currently in place in Australia.

“We look forward to the community consultation process, and trust that the Government will ensure any new measures are based on the evidence of which methods work more effectively. 
 
“The ACT Greens welcome the opportunity to discuss legislative and enforcement measures, however we also need to look at education measures.  
 
“Lack of awareness of the effects of illicit drugs on driving ability is a major factor putting people under the influence of drugs on the road, Ms Bresnan said.

The ACT Greens have today called for Molonglo to be a genuine model of sustainability with low water and energy use, and clever design innovations that will make it an easy and pleasant place for Canberrans to live.

The Greens Parliamentary team today launched a discussion paper on the planned Molonglo urban district for the Canberra community to debate and provide feedback

“The Molonglo development will become home to 55,000 Canberrans.  We need to take on new design and planning innovations to build an urban village for the 21st century that is low on water and energy use,” Greens Parliamentary Convenor, Meredith Hunter, said today.

“This is an important development that requires a whole of Government commitment to make sure we get the best outcomes for the Canberra community.

“But most importantly, we would like to bring the people of Canberra and their interests, knowledge and expertise into the discussion.”

The paper outlines 11 design and planning issues that address high sustainability, including water and energy use, transport options, design that promotes healthy communities and ongoing protection of our natural areas.

“It is time for us to move towards building zero emissions neighbourhoods,” Greens Environment spokesperson, Shane Rattenbury said.

“We must face up to being the largest inland city on the driest continent on earth.  Water sensitive design and non-potable water use is the only way to sustainably support this growth in the region’s population.”

“Protecting the biodiversity of the Molonglo river corridor is a priority and something we know that future residents will value. A chain of ponds is a far better option than building a dam,” Mr Rattenbury said.

“It’s often said that Canberra is a ‘car city’.  Building Molonglo from scratch gives us a chance to have fast and frequent public transport, on dedicated routes that will provide a very attractive alternative to the private vehicle,” Greens Transport spokesperson Amanda Bresnan said.

“Let’s not make the mistake of trying to add public transport only when demand grows.  It needs to be there from the very beginning to nurture a culture of public transport use.”

Greens Planning spokesperson, Caroline Le Couteur, said that Molonglo could become Canberra’s most truly affordable area.

“Our vision for Molonglo is for a place where housing is well designed so that heating and cooling costs are low, there is local employment, people live close to schools and shops, and there are good bus and bike transport links to the rest of Canberra.

“Molonglo should cost less to live in because it is well designed and these savings will help housing affordability.  In turn, savings in resource use mean that Molonglo will has less environmental impact.

“The Molonglo development has the potential to be a turning point for the ACT and Australia as we design and plan for a world where we need to account carefully for our energy and water use.

“This discussion paper presents ideas to the people of Canberra about an affordable and sustainable way to build and live that we can be proud of,” Ms Le Couteur said.

The Greens will consult on the discussion paper over the next two months, holding a public forum at the Assembly and engaging with community organisations and other stakeholders.

Please click here to view the discussion paper

Submissions will be received until 9/04/10 – send to: LeCouteur@parliament.act.gov.au

The ACT Chief Minister today tabled results of consultation on reduced 40 km/h speed limits around shopping centres and community facilities. The consultation was done in accordance with an item from the Greens Parliamentary Agreement with the ALP.

“We’re pleased that this happening, and we have a great satisfaction that this issue – which we raised over a year ago – is today turning into concrete results,” said Caroline Le Couteur, Greens spokesperson on planning and TAMS.

“By adding this item to the Parliamentary Agreement, we particularly wanted to prioritise work that would help protect vulnerable road users – pedestrians, cyclists and children and aged people.

“Not only does reduced speed around the places where vulnerable road users congregate increase safety, but it has the very important effect of making sustainable transport much more attractive.

“We do have concern that the Chief Minister has said the Government will not reduce speeds around community facilities -  such as child care or aged care facilities. These are areas where where kids and older Canberrans gather, and they shouldn’t be overlooked.

“This is an issue where there is very strong existing evidence that reduced speed limits really increase safety, and at the same time cause very little  traffic delay.  We really want the Government to act on this initiative, which is proven to reduce deaths and casualties. We want this initiative rolled out at community centres as well as shopping centres as soon as practicable. The Government can move faster than just conducting one or two trials.

“The Greens Parliamentary Agreement, in its second year, is still delivering positive initiatives for Canberra,” Ms Le Couteur said.

Trafic Lights commitment

ACT Greens Planning spokesperson, Caroline Le Couteur, has announced that the Greens have secured a $700,000 commitment from the ACT Government to signalise the extension of Wells Station Drive.

This is a good result for residents who have been concerned about the safety of the intersection between Horse Park Drive and the proposed Wells Station Drive.

It was clear that their concerns were real, and needed to be addressed.  This is a good example of community input being taken on for a better outcome.  After pressure from the Greens, TAMS has redone its traffic modelling. TAMS now agrees with the residents that the intersection would have been dangerous and it will now have traffic lights from day one.

Road Re-alignment issue

The Greens have recently been advised that the additional cost for re-routing the road to the eastern side of the hill would be in the order of $5m – almost doubling the project cost.  This is due a number of factors including the need for widening and strengthening of the existing bridge where the re-routed road would meet Horse Park drive and the need to replace the alluvial soil on the alternative route.

Last November, when the Greens supported a motion calling for the re-routing of the road, there was no information to suggest it would cost almost twice as much.

Now we have the cost and the commitment to signals from the start, the Greens have looked at the issue again.  The signals will significantly reduce the safety issues, and both possible routes will have houses at about the same distance away from the road so they have a similar impact on people.  We are not aware of any ecological or heritage case for changing the route of the road.  So given these factors and the state of the ACT budget, we have accepted the Government’s decision to stick with the original route.

Mr Barr has made a Ministerial Statement to the Assembly, explaining to residents why the realignment will be so expensive. We also expect the Government will further liaise with local residents to establish whether any additional noise or safety mitigation measures can be taken.

The Greens have cited new data from insurer AAMI as further proof that the Government needs to do more to support vulnerable road users, such as cyclists and pedestrians.

According to the survey, almost 50% of ACT residents own a bike but only one in six uses it to commute. 80% of those who didn’t ride cited dangerous traffic and unsafe roads as the biggest barrier to riding.

“This result shows that our car and road focused Government is discouraging people taking up healthy sustainable transport options,” said Caroline Le Couteur MLA, Greens spokesperson for planning.

“The survey shows there are people out there wanting to ride, but being discouraged by Canberra’s traffic environment. The Greens have been working to address this through the Parliamentary Agreement by securing extra funding for bike paths and footpaths.”

“The AAMI report comes on the back of an ANU report last year, showing that almost one quarter of hospital episodes due to road trauma were cyclists.”

“We must prioritise sustainable transport like cycling, walking, and public transport. Increasing cycling infrastructure makes it safer to cycle, and better prepares Canberra for the challenges of climate change and peak oil, as well as improving people’s health.”

“The Government continues to prioritise car use, focusing on new freeways, and providing 50 times more capital funding for roads and car parks, than for cycling and pedestrian projects.”[1]

Ms Le Couteur said Canberra needs a multifaceted approach to create an environment that is cycling and pedestrian friendly, including:

• Making cycling and walking prioritised transport modes in planning, traffic, and urban design policies, instead of motor transport
• Structural measures, such as separated bike ways, and ‘pedestrian-priority’ spaces
• Improving road education to help all users co-exist safely.

[1] Figure from Government’s 5 year Integrated Transport Action Plan. It sets out $161m for road infrastructure projects and $41m for car parks. By contrast, it provides $4m for cycling and walking.

The ACT Greens have renewed calls for an improvement of rail infrastructure and other strategies to reduce heavy and dangerous freights on surrounding roads.

“Last August Shell announced that they were moving their oil shipments to the ACT off rail onto road,” Shane Rattenbury MLA, Greens member for Molonglo, said today.

“At the time the ACT Greens described the decision as short sighted, and called for greater investment in rail infrastructure.

“It’s another failure to take into account safety and environmental concerns in the economic assessment. The Government should step in and find ways to encourage more transport of dangerous goods onto safer and more efficient rail.

“We’d like to see the Chief Minister liaising with his NSW counterpart over this issue, and the Sydney to Canberra fuel transport arrangements in particular.

“The safety and environmental benefits of rail must be taken into account. Shell has an obligation to consider more than just economic benefits when planning their Sydney to Canberra shipping arrangements,” Mr Rattenbury said.

Today the Rail, Tram and Bus Union called on State and Territory governments to amend their dangerous goods acts to require hazardous material, such as petrol, to be transported to and from the nearest available rail hub.

The Government has started work improving cycle and pedestrian paths around Canberra, using $2.85 million of the money secured by the Greens through its Parliamentary Agreement with the Labor Party.

“It’s great that that we’ll now see this money turned into real improvements on the ground,” Greens Parliamentary Convenor, Meredith Hunter MLA, said today.

“Footpaths and bike paths around Canberra have been deteriorating badly, which is a disincentive for people to walk and ride. The improvements to directional signage also make the paths more accessible, so that people can use them for their day to day travel.”

“We’ve long said that Canberra needs to become a greener city, and part of that is to be friendlier to non-motorised transport.”

“These types of improvements are key to encouraging people to cycle and walk, which has clear health and environmental benefits,” Ms Hunter said.

The Greens/ALP Parliamentary Agreement required the Government to increase recurrent funding for cycling infrastructure to $3.6 million per annum from 2009-10, to provide $2.5 million to address the maintenance backlog and implementation of signage on the cycling network, and to commit an additional $500,000 per annum recurrent funding above current levels for footpath upgrades and maintenance.

Amanda Bresnan, ACT Greens MLA for Brindabella, successfully moved a motion in the Legislative Assembly today that will see a Master Plan for Erindale be conducted in 2010-11.

“Erindale is a hub for business and community, and is getting bigger every year.  There are some major changes for the centre afoot, and it’s important that we develop a first rate plan,” Ms Bresnan said.

“Current residents are concerned about what the suburb will look like in the future. They want assurance that growth will be achieved in an orderly and respectful manner.”

“I have conducted consultation with local businesses and active groups, and collected constituent responses that have informed the motion I presented today.”

The motion calls for the Government to conduct a master planning process for Erindale in conjunction with the Master Plan it is conducting for the Tuggeranong Town Centre.

“I think there are great benefits that can be achieved in doing the two Southside plans together, especially because of the common transport concerns they share.”

“Erindale is in line for a park and ride facility and a new bus interchange as part of the 2031 Public Transport Plan, but no one seems to know where in Erindale these facilities will go.”

“The Tuggeranong region rarely receives the attention it deserves from governments and planning departments.  My instigation of an Erindale Master Plan is aimed at addressing that for the future,” Ms Bresnan said.

Greens Transport spokesperson Amanda Bresnan MLA says that the launch of the Nightrider service today is marred by the Governments earlier announcement that it would abandon its Nightlink taxi service.

“It’s disappointing to see that the Nightlink service was not a success when it is clear that the need for such a service remains,” Ms Bresnan said today.

“The Government didn’t ask itself the hard questions about how it could increase and sustain patronage”

“Nightlink needs to be better promoted and have time to develop a customer base knowledge of this valuable service in the community.”

“There is a degree of hypocrisy in the Government celebrating a ‘new’ service that lasts for 4 weeks, whilst quietly cancelling a similar service that operated all year round”

“The ACT Greens are concerned that whilst the Government wants to ‘consider road safety reforms’ as part of their response to the Liberal Party’s drug testing proposal, they’ve taken away one of the ways of getting  people under the influence home .”

“Without an option that’s cheaper than normal taxis, there is a risk that people may attempt to drive home under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” Ms Bresnan said

ACT Greens MLA Amanda Bresnan is calling on the ACT Government to improve transport options for people with a disability, by increasing access to Wheelchair Accessible Taxis (WATs). 

“Today is International Day of People with Disability, a day to recognise the contribution people with disability make to our society, and acknowledge the barriers they still face to social inclusion,” Ms Bresnan said today.

“During my first year as an MLA I have met with a wide range of community organisations that assist people with a disability. The sector has told me that transport is the number problem in Canberra, as the lack of appropriate transport prevents people from having a normal life and getting to work, education and social events.”

“At the moment there is only a small number of WATs available in Canberra, and we have received complaints about some of those WATS choosing the profitable airport run over people with a disability.

“It is unacceptable that people in wheelchairs can sometimes be left waiting for several hours for a taxi.”

“The Minister for Transport commenced a review of wheelchair accessible taxis in August, and I hope to see that some strong recommendations are implemented. With so many people reliant on taxis for transport, an increase in the number of WATs and improvements to the eligibility and allowances schemes related to them are needed.” Ms Bresnan said.