Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for School Education and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That, in accordance with section 5 of the Parliament Act 1974, the Senate approves the following proposals by the National Capital Authority for capital works within the Parliamentary Zone:

(a) the installation of pay parking infrastructure; and

(b) the relocation of the Torsional Wave outdoor exhibit.

Gary Humphries (ACT, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Materiel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Gary Humphries (ACT, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Materiel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The policy which is being implemented today with this motion to begin works in the Parliamentary Triangle on paid parking infrastructure is bad government policy. It amounts to an imposition of a very heavy cost on a large number of users of the Parliamentary Triangle, particularly public servants and others using national institutions in that area. It comes for an area of Canberra in which there is a general lack of commercial or community services available to users of the zone. Services which are provided are difficult to access and usually come with a cost premium. The public transport alternatives available to workers in the zone are slow and inflexible, insufficient in frequency and stops, disorganised in peak times and wholly inadequate out of peak times. However, the coalition will not be opposing the motion, because it has been linked to the raising of $73 million in revenue and it is irresponsible to oppose the government's achieving that goal.

Lee Rhiannon (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Lee Rhiannon (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Australian Greens do not oppose this motion. However, we do wish to make our position clear. We believe the revenue raised from the parking fees should be provided to the ACT government to improve public transport in Canberra. There is a clear link here. Public transport needs to be developed as Canberra is growing. It is already a wonderful, livable city, but that can be lost if the congestion is allowed to increase. By linking the revenue from parking fees to public transport, we can have a great advance here, benefiting the social livability of the city as well as the environment.

Question agreed to.