The public can now comment on the environmental referral for light rail the ACT Government sent to the Commonwealth Government last month.

To progress planning approvals in the National Capital Area for light rail stage 2B (Commonwealth Park to Woden), the ACT Government sent an environmental submission to the Australian Government, as required under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservations (EPBC) Act.

This referral outlines the ACT Government’s intention to further investigate and study the preferred light rail alignment past Parliament House via State Circle East, as well as alternative stops in the National Triangle and Barton.

The referral is now on public display and open for comment on the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water website until 18 March.

“So far, the project has received very strong support from the Commonwealth Government, and I look forward to ongoing support as the project progresses through the future stages,” Chief Minister Andrew Barr said.

Future stages of the project will be constructed between 2028 and 2033, Mr Barr said. The raising of London Circuit began in 2022, and the contract for the extension of the light rail network to Commonwealth Park was signed last year.  Stage One opened in 2019; last year, transport minister Chris Steel said the light rail service would begin running in 2028.

Canberra Liberals MLA Mark Parton, Shadow Minister for Transport, said the government’s announcement that light rail would be completed between 2028 and 2033 validated their predictions that the project would not be delivered until the mid-2030s.

“After years of prodding by the Canberra Liberals, Andrew Barr was today finally forced to admit to Canberrans that the tram will not arrive in Woden until at least 2033,” Mr Parton said.

“This admission only came from the Chief Minister because of documents that had to be made public under the Federal Government’s Environment Protection Laws.

“This announcement is a further vindication of the Canberra Liberals estimates on cost and delivery of the tram to Woden. In late 2022, we estimated completion of the project by 2034. This was scoffed at by the Minister, but it would seem it’s absolutely on the money. As Transport Shadow, every single prediction that I have made about this project has proven to be either correct or somewhat conservative.

“Today’s announcement confirms that we’ve all been taken for a ride by Andrew Barr….an exhaustively long, obscenely expensive ride. The Canberra Liberals stand by our cost estimate of $4 billion for the entirety of Stage 2, but all indications are that this may well be a conservative approximation.”

In estimates hearings last July, Mr Parton asked Mr Steel whether light rail would be completed by 2030, given delays gaining National Capital Authority approval for stage 2A. Mr Steel replied: “We expect that Stage 2B will be delivered this decade.”

“Did Steel mislead the Estimates Committee, and if not, what has changed in the last seven months?” Mr Parton said.

“I would also note that the Chief Minister has made similar promises about the tram to Woden before the last election in 2020. In late 2019, he said that the tram would likely get to Woden by 2025.

“Does anyone in this city actually believe the latest rubbery timeline?”

The Chief Minister, however, said: “This is the most complicated infrastructure project the Territory Government has undertaken. It’s a once-in-a-generation asset for Canberra, and there are a number of unique steps required to deliver the project.

“It will be the largest change to the landscape of the National Triangle since the construction of the New Parliament House, and a project that spans several districts of Canberra.

“With Canberra’s population set to grow well beyond 500,000 in the coming years, we need to continue building a mass transit system that supports our growing city.

“The project is critical for Canberra’s future and will support the ACT’s long-term economic and jobs growth. Throughout the design and construction phase, we’re expecting light rail to Woden to create thousands of local jobs.”

The government will develop a substantial Environmental Impact Statement this year. Canberrans will be encouraged to have their say on the features of stops in their suburb. A final assessment will be delivered to the Commonwealth Government and submitted to the Australian Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek MP. 

“At the same time, construction work will ramp up on the extension to Commonwealth Park as the raising of London Circuit continues,” Mr Barr said.