Ms BURNET (Clark) – Honourable Speaker, last Tuesday, member for Clark Vica Bayley, member for Hobart Cassy O’Connor and I went to a public meeting held at the Hobart City Hall. It was one of the biggest public meetings I have been to in a very long time. A little under 1000 people filed into the City Hall on Macquarie Street. Many had ridden, others had come by car. There was an array of ages. I believe the member for Clark, Mr Behrakis, was there as well. The Hobart City Council had a responsibility to hold this public meeting after receiving over 1000 signatories requesting the meeting, which was about the proposed bike lanes on Collins Street.
Those bike lanes were proposed as part of the Greater Hobart Cycling Plan. It is part of the network. That network really needed to join up east to west, rather than just down from the main bike lanes, which go from north to south in the city, which are very convenient for those who use it. Bike lanes are really useful for not only car drivers – revheads or otherwise – but because they provide that guide for car drivers and bike riders. You feel a lot safer when you are riding in a bike lane. The Collins Street bike lanes have been quite controversial. This is a trial, and there was significant outcry about having this amenity and upgrade in that part of Collins Street.
The meeting went ahead and there were people speaking for and against the bike lanes. Those who participated voted on various motions. It was one of those public meetings where people really had their say and felt like they were heard. There were three motions against the bike lanes and one for. Those three that were against the bike lanes failed and the motion for the bike lanes to go ahead passed. It was democracy in action, it was important to see. It was one of those things we participate in and we forget the importance of those Town Hall – this time City Hall – meetings.
The council has considered this. There was $170,000 coming from the government, but that was pulled at the last minute. It was unfortunate in many ways. The Greens wanted to find out more about this and, through RTI, found that the Transport minister, Mr Abetz, had said, ‘Yes, we are going ahead, we are going to fund this with $170,000. It is not a huge amount of money, but it is a really important step to go in partnership with the local council.’ However, Mr Abetz then received an email from Font PR raising concerns about the project. They wanted a response immediately. They received their response and that money was pulled. It only took two days for the minister to change his mind.
The sorry thing is that it is so important that people who ride bikes, and people who would ride bikes if it were safer, are given that opportunity. That busts congestion. The Transport minister should know better.
Time expired.
