15 February 2013

Ambitions for the Greater Capital Region

| johnboy
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Chief Minister Gallagher has announced her latest moves to integrate the surrounding countryside:

ACT Chief Minister and Minister for Regional Development, Katy Gallagher, will move to establish a parliamentary committee to inquire into and advance the ambitions of region cooperation and collaboration for the greater capital region.

Through its work the committee would be able to assist the ACT Government to identify opportunities to co-ordinate economic development across the region, including in areas like tourism, shared services and transport. The establishment of the committee would also allow for tri-partisan engagement on the very important issue of our regional future.

The committee would examine further co-ordination of service planning and service delivery, particularly in health and education where the ACT Government is already a major regional provider.

It will also engage with the 12 local government areas in the region to examine the opportunities for savings and efficiencies through partnerships which leverage off a larger population base.

The Chief Minister is meeting with the region’s local government leaders today as part of the regular meetings of South East Regional Organisation of Councils (SEROC). She will brief the councils on the proposed select committee, which she has invited the Leader of the Opposition in the ACT to support.

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switch said :

dungfungus said :

Er, all the train passengers who left their cars at home can relax, knowing they will be delivered to their destination safe and sound, stress free and on time?

You haven’t used Sydney’s trains for a while now, have you?

I thought this discussion was about “Ambitions for the Greater Capital Region” and Sydney is well outside that area. More succinctly, I was alluding to possible commuter rail services that may be viable on the existing unused and underutilsed rail corridors surrounding Canberra.

dungfungus said :

Er, all the train passengers who left their cars at home can relax, knowing they will be delivered to their destination safe and sound, stress free and on time?

You haven’t used Sydney’s trains for a while now, have you?

HiddenDragon10:30 pm 15 Feb 13

milkman said :

Having Canberra subsumed into Queanbeyan is really the only sensible solution. Queanbeyan was around long before Canberra was built, and provides much better services to its residents anyway (we get green waste bins, cheaper rego, larger waste pickup, a newer hospital, etc), rather than stuffing arouund with irrelevant rubbish like the human rights legislation.

And after all the Canberra APS jobs (and the private sector jobs they support) are sent to the Deep North, the Deep South, and every other point of the compass, Canberra and Queanbeyan will once again be – as they would have many, many years ago – twin cities.

Pork Hunt said :

aussielyn said :

The rail corridor, to Bungendore & Cooma, under-utilised, should be improved & maintained. This could be invaluable if a B-Triple rolls or other accidents.

I’m not sure what your reasoning here is?
How will a railway help when a road accident occurs?

Er, all the train passengers who left their cars at home can relax, knowing they will be delivered to their destination safe and sound, stress free and on time?

aussielyn said :

The rail corridor, to Bungendore & Cooma, under-utilised, should be improved & maintained. This could be invaluable if a B-Triple rolls or other accidents.

I’m not sure what your reasoning here is?
How will a railway help when a road accident occurs?

poetix said :

I believe in Lebensraum, but only if the tanks are hot.

I have limited room for any hot tanks, but the Beatles said “happiness is a warm gun”…

Sounds like a re-run of last year’s cross border MOU without all the hoopla
http://www.katygallagher.net/?p=688

Having Canberra subsumed into Queanbeyan is really the only sensible solution. Queanbeyan was around long before Canberra was built, and provides much better services to its residents anyway (we get green waste bins, cheaper rego, larger waste pickup, a newer hospital, etc), rather than stuffing arouund with irrelevant rubbish like the human rights legislation.

I believe in Lebensraum, but only if the tanks are hot.

Lebensraum. You know it makes sense.

Hand over Batemans Bay and nobody gets hurt. And while you’re at it, Ulladulla. Oh, and we want Jervis Bay back too.

I really like the idea, but if Katy is on it all we’ll ever see is imaginary towns, roads and people pop up from dubious data. That’s about it.

Two armoured divisions will cross the border at dawn. The glorious future of the Capital Region Co-Prosperity Sphere awaits!

16,000 people will be housed at Googong alone; also, QBYN & Bungendore are having housing explosions. Imagine the morning congestion on the Monaro Hghy & Canberra Ave. in 10 years. The bus transit way on Canberra Ave may help if park & ride works and more use the bus.
The rail corridor, to Bungendore & Cooma, under-utilised, should be improved & maintained. This could be invaluable if a B-Triple rolls or other accidents.

An integrated transport strategy that considers cars, bus & rail is needed now. Political players in all jurisdictions should acknowledge the future problem. Planning to solve the future transport problem should be the objective, not gaining cheap political points.

A political football game with transport could last twenty years while the problem just gets worse. Blessed be the best dealmaker.

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