MICK GENTLEMAN says two Territory Plan variations tabled in the Legislative Assembly show the government is working to improve public transport.

“Variation V327 and Variation V309 have been tabled in the assembly today following a public inquiry by the Planning, Environment and Territory and Municipal Services committee,” Mick said.

V327

“Variation V327 (Capital Metro) proposes to establish definitions for light rail and associated infrastructure components in the Territory Plan.

“V327 will facilitate the ACT’s first stage of the light rail proposal from Gungahlin to Civic and define a clear assessment path in the Territory Plan for future light rail proposals in the ACT.

“The variation also proposes to rezone parcels of land on a number of blocks along the proposed route from Gungahlin to Civic to either TSZ1 Transport Zone or IZ1 General Industrial Zone to accommodate light rail associated road works and the proposed light rail depot.

“The variation is not designed to approve the development of the Capital Metro project but by changing certain aspects of the Territory Plan, it will allow for a proposal to be submitted for formal development assessment.”

V309

A second variation tabled this week allows for the development of a bus layover facility on the corner of Watson Street and Barry Drive in Turner to replace the existing bus layover site on Marcus Clarke Street, in the City.

“Variation V309 (Turner Bus Layover) paves the way for a vital part of Canberra’s public transport infrastructure. The location, chosen by extensive background studies, will have a smaller individual site footprint compared with other options and is close to the new city west station at Rimmer Street so ‘dead’ bus running times will be reduced to a minimum.”

“These variations are consistent with the government’s Transport for Canberra policy and demonstrate our commitment to improve public transport to provide accessible mobility for everyone and drive urban renewal.

“I would like to thank all members of the public and the committee for their time spend on the inquiry,” Minister Gentleman concluded.

The approved variations are available at planning.act.gov.au