The question of a light rail between Gungahlin and Civic is back on the agenda.
MBA Group project manager Ken Ineson urged the ACT Government to move quickly on the light-rail link before benefits were lost. He argued that international experience showed that light rail attracted commercial development along the route because developers liked its permanency. This meant that land values would rise. Mr Ineson thought that the Government would be able to recoup the $80-$100 million to build the link within five years by reaping the rewards of increased land value. He thought the opportunity need to be taken soon before land next to the route was sold off.
The Government should treat the proposal with a great deal of caution. Transport schemes should rely on their own commercial viability rather than on increased land values. Too often developers pick up the windfalls from increased land values, rather than the community through the Government.
The main reason for caution is that the recent history of Canberra tells us that Canberrans are peculiarly averse to public transport; that we are wedded to our cars. Moreover, every ACT Budget brings forth another negative bottom line for ACTION – the bus network. The buses in Canberra are chronically underused and run a huge subsidised loss.
It is cheaper and easier to run buses up Northbourne Avenue to Gungahlin. If the demand for the buses outstrips supply – then and only then – should the government consider spending $100 million (or double that if the usual Budget blow-outs occur) to put in light rail.
If the Government is serious about encouraging public transport for environmental reasons, it should first discourage commuting by car and then encourage public transport. It should increase daily parking fees in Civic. It should lower bus charges – particularly season passes. That would increase public-transport use thus enabling ACTION to increase frequency and reliability – the two elements critical to attracting use.
While ACTION is so under-utilised, it would be madness to spend money on another public-transport system. The argument that rail is cheaper than buses does not wash when you add in the capital cost of laying the track. We should trumpet more loudly the yellow elephants we have before we buy a new white one.