Civic Plaza (proposed)
The signing of contracts between the ACT Government and the Canberra Metro consortium to construct and operate the first stage of Capital Metro has been received tremendously positively.
It has received wide media coverage online, on television, radio and the Canberra Times.
Minister Simon Corbell said the light rail contract also delivered additional features that
would improve the way Canberrans make use of inner city spaces. A new area called Civic Plaza will create an accessible, usable and
vibrant space between the Sydney and Melbourne buildings that will link
the east and west sides of the CBD.
“With the new Civic Plaza we will create an area that brings people
together in the middle of our city, bridging the gap between east and
west,” Mr Corbell said.
“The upgraded Alinga Street terminus will give us a destination
worthy of its place in the heart of the city and the dynamic lighting at
stops along the route will add to the vibrancy of Canberra nights and
will improve the experience of people using the corridor no matter which
method they choose to travel.
“The artists impressions released today are just an example of how
this space could be developed into a active and enjoyable community
space.”
Mr Corbell said over the 20 years of the contract the annual
availability payment, which includes operational costs such as
electricity, drivers and maintenance as well as construction costs,
would be approximately $48m in the first 12 months of operations and
finish at approximately $75m for the last 12 months of the contract term
in 2038, with an average annual availability payment of approximately
$64m.
“Over its 20 year operations period this contract will account for
less than 1 per cent of ACT Government expenditure,” Mr Corbell said.
“The Australian Government has also demonstrated its support by increasing its contribution to the project to $67 million.
“We are committed to building a city that continues to be one of the
most liveable places in the world. The opportunity to build such a bold
and visionary project shows that Canberra is a city of innovation,
sustainable living and truly part of the global economy.”
The contract’s
capital cost will be approximately $710 million, much
less than the cost originally estimated in the business case for the
project. This cost will be finalised when financial close for the
project is reached in the coming weeks.
The ACT Government would be making a
capital contribution of $375m
towards the project in 2018-19. This $375m is funded from the sale of
assets – such as ACTTAB, ageing public housing and ACT Government office
accommodation – and includes a 15% bonus from the Commonwealth as part
of the Asset Recycling Initiative, a sum of
$60m that the Federal Liberal government recently announced would be increased to
$67m solely for use on light rail.
The first stage of Canberra’s light rail network is an important part
of the government’s integrated transport plan. As of July 1, the new
Transport Canberra agency will coordinate buses and light rail planning,
timetabling and fares and will develop a single ticket for use across
the system, which will help to manage Canberra’s growth by reducing
congestion on Canberra’s roads.
Figures for availability payments exclude territory contingency
amounts and are approximate until the project reaches financial close in
the coming weeks.
The Canberra Times
reported on the announcement here.
ABC TV News Canberra broadcast this on 17 May 2016
WIN TV Canberra broadcast this on 17 may 2016
Simon Corbell posted this to Facebook:
