The Canberra Liberals say that Transport Minister Chris Steel must provide details on when the tram will arrive in Woden and how much it will cost.
Mark Parton, Shadow Minister for Transport, will put forward a motion in the Legislative Assembly today calling on the ACT Government to make a public estimate of which decade, which year, and which quarter the first tram will arrive in Woden; how much the tram to Woden will cost, to the nearest $100 million; and when the business case will be made public – all by the final sitting day of March 2023.
Mr Parton said the ACT Government has continually refused to make public an estimate of how much stage 2 of the tram will cost and when it will arrive in Woden.
“Labor and the Greens have the audacity to spend the money of hard working Canberrans, whilst keeping them in the dark on how much it will cost and when the project will be delivered,” Mr Parton said.
Earlier this year, Mr Parton challenged Mr Steel to tell him whether light rail to Woden would be completed by 2035. Although stage two was announced seven years ago, the government could not indicate exactly when Stage 2A of the project to Commonwealth Park would be delivered, or the likely final cost of Stage Two in its entirety, Mr Parton claimed then. Mr Steel responded that light rail was on track.
“The Minister and Chief Minister are more than happy to have a photoshoot with the shiny shovels to raise London Circuit for the tram, but cannot or will not give the public simple details on cost and delivery,” Mr Parton said today.
“This government has not even produced a business case for Stage 2, but the Transport Minister has publicly stated they will build the tram regardless of what the business case states.”
Mr Steel refused to update the ACT Government’s business case for light rail, despite Auditor-General Michael Harris finding it wanting in his review last year. Mr Parton also called earlier this year for the government to revise the business case and economic analysis, as the Auditor-General requested. The government will, however, publish a Benefits Realisation Plan for stage 2A, and will prepare business cases for future stages.
- Light rail stage 2A business case will not be revised (8 June)
- Auditor-General: Light rail 2A will cost more than government claims (Sept 2021)
“It is not good enough for Labor and the Greens to continually spruik ‘light rail is coming’ to Woden, but then refuse to tell Canberrans when the project will be completed or how much it will cost taxpayers,” Mr Parton said.
“It is clear, this is a government that has no respect for the people of Canberra. My motion is very simple, and calls on them to be transparent and provide the community with the answers they deserve.”
