Seventeen days to the election. ACT Labor announces better trains to Sydney – are they on the right track? – and the Liberals reveal their plan for Gungahlin, oop north.

ACT Labor: NSW trains

ACT Labor would work with the NSW Government to renew Canberra Railway Station and improve train travel between Canberra and Sydney.

In the last year, more than 280,000 journeys were made on the NSW TrainLink service in and out of Canberra.

“Both Governments are committed to making travel between the Canberra region and Sydney faster, easier and more comfortable for commuters and visitors on both sides of the border,” a Labor spokesperson said.

Labor would redevelop the station into a mixed-use transport, residential, retail and commercial precinct as part of the broader East Lake Place Plan. Connections with the station precinct and bus network would be improved.

Labor says this project would contribute to its plan of 30,000 more homes by 2030, and provide housing close to transport, employment and services.

An NSW/ACT cross-border working group would reduce travel times, grow patronage, and ensure the train service meets the needs of passengers.

NSW premier Chris Minns (Labor) and Queanbeyan-Palerang mayor Kenrick Winchester (independent Labor) both support the policy.

Canberra Liberals leader Elizabeth Lee said the policy was a sign that Mr Barr had “run out of steam”. In her opinion, it was a superficial attempt to seem proactive before the election. She called the announcement a vague media release with little detail, lacking costings, timeframes, or deliverables: how much it would cost, when it would be commenced, let alone delivered, or what the final route would be.

Ms Lee argued that Mr Barr should focus on managing his own light rail project. She said that the government, despite planning Stage 2B for more than a decade, could still not produce a total cost estimate, which the Liberals calculate will be at least $4 billion; the government has not clarified how the tram would cross Commonwealth Avenue Bridge; what the final route would be; or how the retrofitted battery packs for the trams would function without overhead wiring through to Woden. She noted that construction contracts would not be signed until after the 2028 election, further delaying progress, and pointed out that when Stage 1 began, all buses in Gungahlin were cancelled, forcing people onto the tram.

Ms Lee stated that regardless of which party was in power, an ACT Government would cooperate with the NSW government and local councils, as Canberra was closely tied to its surrounding areas.

Independents for Canberra leader Thomas Emerson was sceptical, asking “how many more ‘commitments’ can be made before action is taken”.

Mr Emerson suggested that with better federal lobbying, the Canberra-to-Sydney route could have been prioritised over the more complex and costlier Sydney-to-Newcastle route.

Mr Emerson criticised the lack of a clear long-term plan. “Is the current rail station really best located for a high-speed terminus? If not, should we be reinvesting there or moving the station to a more future-proof location?

“Will the promised upgrades to the rail line be high-speed ready? Fastrack Australia has a fantastic proposal before both levels of government that would deliver staged upgrades with gradual improvements in travel time – 30 or 60 minutes per stage – culminating in a genuine high-speed line. Has that been taken under consideration?

“We need to plan more strategically for the future while taking urgent action now to move us toward that future.”

Belco Party co-convenor Bill Stefaniak said: “I’m sure a new government after 19 October will continue to work with the NSW government on this initiative and probably get the job done faster and cheaper. It’s a pretty good service as it is, and I take it a lot to see family and friends in Sydney and Wollongong. More and more people are going to Sydney by train, so this is timely.”

Canberra Liberals: Gungahlin

The Canberra Liberals have released their plan for Gungahlin, a fast-growing area with “a rich and multicultural community, a lot of aspirational families, and a lot of small businesses”, opposition leader Elizabeth Lee said, aiming to address what they see as longstanding neglect by the Labor-Greens government. They promise better community infrastructure, improved health and education services, and to alleviate cost of living pressures.

“Canberrans that live in Yerrabi feel constantly left behind by this government,” deputy opposition leader Leanne Castley MLA said. “The ad hoc way in which infrastructure, maintenance and roads in Gungahlin along with Kaleen, Giralang and Hall have been managed and the lack of detail and attention to our community areas and playgrounds are disappointing. Only the Canberra Liberals will prioritise the suburbs in Yerrabi and restore them to what we had hoped they would be.”

The Canberra Liberals estimate Gungahlin-specific projects would cost $27 to $30 million, in addition to other investments such as the $100 million “Putting Your Suburb First” policy.

ACT Labor released its plan for Gungahlin in August. The Liberals are sceptical: Ms Lee said Chief Minister Andrew Barr had “tried to spin basic municipal services as an election announcement after having been there for 23 years”.

“The regional plans that Labor have announced are nothing more than a confirmation of broken promise after broken promise and their utter and complete failure to do what is expected of a local government,” Ms Lee said.

Central to the Liberals’ vision is transitioning the Gungahlin joint emergency services centre into a dedicated police station and building a joint ambulance and fire station in Casey. The fire service is operating from a demountable at the back of the JECS, James Milligan MLA, shadow minister for police and for emergency services, said. He acknowledged that Labor has budgeted $60 million for the Casey ambulance and fire station, but the Liberals would make it a priority.

“We will … focus on keeping our community safe by investing in our police force and building the right facilities for our hardworking firefighters and paramedics,” Mr Milligan said. “The Labor-Greens Government has had plenty of time to get it right, but they have been dragging their heels.”

Health infrastructure is another focus: a North Gungahlin walk-in clinic in Casey, staffed by GPs, and a northside hospital in Bruce. A Casey walk-in clinic (without GPs) and a northside hospital are also Labor commitments.

The Liberals also promise to improve recreation and sports infrastructure across Yerrabi. This includes reinvigorating Yerrabi Pond, where parking is difficult and grass not maintained, Ms Castley said; building an indoor sports centre in Casey (promised by Labor in 2012, Mr Milligan noted); and improving storage, changerooms, turf, and lighting at ACT sportsgrounds. They also promise to renew neglected playgrounds and parks, and supply land for youth centres and facilities.

Labor has promised more public playgrounds and facilities, including a new skatepark and netball courts, in Jacka; build a pavilion and expand the Taylor District Playing Fields; and create a walking and cycling path to connect Hall Village to the Gungahlin path network.

“A Canberra Liberals Government will always be committed to delivering sporting infrastructure that meets the needs of Yerrabi and the entire community,” Mr Milligan said.

The Liberals pledge a faster, more frequent light rail service once new trams arrive, and a more efficient bus network – including speeding up Rapid R8 journeys between Belconnen and Gungahlin, reinstating Xpresso bus services during peak hours, and eliminating two-hour waits on weekends. They would improve traffic lights on Horse Park Drive, allow Throsby residents direct access to Well Station Drive, and duplicate major roads.

The Liberals would investigate establishing future schools and colleges, and restore dedicated school buses. Labor has promised to expand Gungahlin College and build a second public college in Nicholls.

To alleviate financial pressures, the Liberals would cap rate increases at 2.2 per cent, which they say would save households more than $1,500, and supply $150 vouchers for school costs and $100 vouchers for extracurricular activities. Public transport would be free for students, seniors and concession card holders, and weekly fares capped at $25. The Liberals also propose vehicle registration rebates for passenger vehicles, caravans and camper trailers and $50 household rebates on electricity bills.

The Liberals have pledged to build 125,000 homes by 2050. They would increase housing affordability by auctioning overpriced land in Jacka and Whitlam; 10 per cent would be reserved for first homeowners at 75 per cent of current market value. They plan to phase out stamp duty to reduce the cost of buying a home.

Footpaths in the Yerrabi electorate would be fixed, as resources for mowing and footpath maintenance are increased across the ACT through a $45 million investment.

“These announcements put forward by the Canberra Liberals prioritise community needs and ensure that the rates being paid by the people of Yerrabi go directly back into the suburbs where they live, work and play,” Ms Lee said.

ACT Greens MLA Andrew Braddock criticised the Liberals’ plan for Gungahlin: “Once you strip out what the ACT Government has already committed to, normal government business, and ACT-wide initiatives, the Liberal plan sees Gungahlin left with uncosted statements that include lots of expensive road duplications and traffic signals magically funded despite reductions in revenue.”

The ACT Greens have committed to building and buying 1,743 homes in Gungahlin as part of a plan for 10,000 new public homes, as well as a safe haven in Gungahlin town centre.

Belco Party co-convenor Jason Taylor welcomed spending for Yerrabi, criticising previous governments for neglecting its residents for far too long. He called on the Liberals to clarify their plans for “investing in our police”, and expressed concerns about the location of the fire and ambulance station in Casey, as inadequate road infrastructure meant the site was often a parking lot,  which could delay response times. He suggested either upgrading the roads as a priority, or considering an alternative site, such as along Horse Park Drive.

Independents for Canberra candidate David Pollard criticised the Liberals’ policy as insufficient.

“Unfortunately, the Liberals plan for Gungahlin crystalises why they are Canberra’s perpetual opposition,” he said. “It really is ‘too little, too late’ as they tinker around the edges.”

Mr Pollard argued that “tinkering with bus services while threatening our light rail network” was unhelpful, and suggested expanding light rail to the airport and Defence establishments.

Independents for Canberra are calling for a 10-year strategic plan to address local sports clubs’ needs. The Gungahlin Bulls juniors need a pavilion, while Nicholls enclosed oval facilities are reaching end of life and have a single shared toilet, Mr Pollard noted.

Mr Pollard argued that Gungahlin’s education infrastructure has “been playing catchup for years”, and thought that “feasibility studies at this point do not constitute a plan”. The new college being built next to Gold Creek School, on some of the last remaining appropriately zoned land, must provide the quality of education that Gungahlin needs, he said

Mr Pollard criticised the lack of focus on local employment, which he said has been “a sore point in Gungahlin for decades”. He argued that ACT Labor had turned the region into a dormitory suburb, but called for a local employment hub in Gungahlin Town Centre East.