The ACT Greens have accused the ACT Government of basing its argument that a Majura parkway would divert freight from Canberra on guesswork.
The ACT Government has claimed a freeway through the Majura Valley is needed to keep freight trucks out of urban Canberra. Questioning from the ACT Greens has revealed that the ACT Government’s arguments are based on guesswork rather than data.
“The ACT Government had to admit that they have no data about the amount of freight travelling through Canberra or about how much of this could be diverted with a new freeway,” said Greens Transport Spokesperson, Amanda Bresnan.
“First the Government tried to sell this freeway as a panacea for commuting problems and congestion. But with revelations about the likelihood of the road remaining congested, it has flipped to an argument about diverting freight out of urban Canberra.”
“Now it is revealed that the Government does not have the data on which to base this argument.
“Responses to my questioning in Budget Estimates show the Government has no data about how much freight is passing through Canberra, no data about the origins or destinations of any freight, and no data about how much freight a freeway might divert.”
“It is important that a $288m infrastructure project be scrutinised, and that the Government provide clear data and evidence for why a project should go ahead.
“The ACT Greens are the only party properly scrutinising this major outlay of Canberrans’ taxes and questioning whether a highway through the Majura Valley is really the best use of our limited resources,” Ms Bresnan said.
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