I rise today to tell members in the chamber why I am introducing a motion focused on roads and infrastructure within the suburb of Casey. As members would recall, in March this year I sponsored a petition on behalf of the Casey community. This petition was lodged with the Standing Committee on Planning, Transport and City Services, and asked the ACT government to commit to a time frame to fully duplicate a range of roads, as well as a number of other things, including interim measures to ease road congestion, improvements to shared paths and footpaths around the Casey group centre, and further improvements to public transport.
The Standing Committee on Planning, Transport and City Services decided not to inquire into the petition due to ongoing work that the Minister for Transport and City Services is currently undertaking. As indicated by Minister Steel, the ACT government is currently developing traffic models for the Gungahlin region that will help to inform evidence-based infrastructure planning and prioritisation of road network upgrades within the Gungahlin region, including in and around Casey. This work follows on from an ACT Labor 2020 election commitment that I am happy to see being delivered.
The ACT government confirmed that it is also developing a multimodal network plan which will confirm priorities for key corridors and transport areas, including the Gungahlin town centre and the Casey group centre. This leads me to an important aspect of my motion, which is seeking an update on how these works are progressing. Like the Casey community, I am very proud of where I live, and I want my community to be the best that it can possibly be. This includes ensuring that our roads and infrastructure are built appropriately and cater for our current and future demands.
As we know, the Gungahlin region has seen an unprecedented amount of growth over the past couple of years, particularly in the north of Gungahlin, where Casey is located. Many residents have seen this exponential growth and have noticed its impacts, particularly with an increase in road users and demand on public transport. We have to ensure that our roads and infrastructure can keep up with the demand, especially in areas such as Casey, where the population is growing rapidly.
I am introducing this motion today to make representations on behalf of my community. In this term there has been a common issue that the residents of Casey, as well as those in the surrounding suburbs of Nicholls and Ngunnawal, have raised with me. Many residents are concerned that the roads around the Casey group centre may not be able to meet the demands of the current and future development in that area. These residents often shop at Casey, and I do not blame them, as the shopping facilities in this precinct are quite impressive.
For those who are unaware, the Casey group centre is a fabulous shopping centre with a very popular Supabarn and Aldi, and lots of delicious restaurant options, my favourite being Myanmar Corner, with the crispy zucchini being amongst the best I have ever had. This popularity naturally sees an increase in demand on the roads and parking facilities.
Around the Casey shops there are a few empty blocks that are zoned for more residential dwellings and other uses, which makes residents worry about whether the
current roads and infrastructure are fit to cater for the increase in demand once these blocks are developed. I look forward to receiving an update on the proposed use of the community land. I know that the Casey community is very interested to receive an update, too.
As outlined in my motion today, undertaking a Casey commercial and retail precinct traffic and transport improvement study in consultation with the community will help to alleviate some of the concerns that residents have. I am confident that the Casey community will welcome the opportunity to consult on this process, as they are very passionate about this issue. I thank Minister Steel for his support for this initiative and for paving the way for this to happen.
In closing, I am committed to making representations on behalf of the Casey community to the ACT government about improving a range of roads infrastructure within the ACT region. I look forward to continuing to work with Minister Steel on what comes next after what is contained in this motion. I thank the Casey community for continuing to raise their concerns with me and for working alongside me to ensure that the infrastructure around the Casey group centre is well planned to meet the needs of residents now and in the future.
