The Hon Catherine King MP
Doorstop with Minister Steel
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
PRESS CONFERENCE
MITCHELL LIGHT RAIL DEPOT
TUESDAY, 9 AUGUST 2022
CHRIS STEEL, MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND CITY SERVICES: I really want to thank Catherine for coming along today. I think we've had more collaboration with the Federal Government and with the new Minister over the last week than we had with the previous Government over the last nine years, which is really great. A really strong interest in public transport. And today's announcement is about how we are investing in public transport to create a more vibrant, connected and sustainable city. I'm really pleased to be here today to announce that the ACT government and the Australian Government have worked together to make sure that this project is delivered. And we're signing a contract with Canberra Metro, which will provide us with five new light rail vehicles, retrofit our existing fleet of light rail vehicles, and also expand the depot at Mitchell to accommodate that extra fleet and enable the retrofitting to happen on site in Canberra, creating local jobs. So, this is a really strong sign that this project is getting rolling to Commonwealth Park, but also it will support the future extension of the line to Woden, with the retrofitting of the light rail vehicles enabling wire-free running which is required through the Parliamentary Triangle. This contract is an investment of $181.2 million, and that includes the capital component of $129.6 million, and also the operations and maintenance component, which is worth an extra $51.6 million. So, this is an extension of the existing partnership that we have with Canberra Metro that has delivered frequent and reliable services on stage one. We want that to continue on stage two. The five new light rail vehicles will be built for Canberra and will enable the retrofitting of the existing 14 light rail vehicles here so they can run wire free, and that retrofitting will happen right here at the depot in Mitchell. Happy to hand over to Catherine King to say some extra words.
CATHERINE KING, MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT: Thanks very much, Chris. It's terrific to be here at the Mitchell light rail depot for an exciting announcement which really is about enabling the next stage of light rail here in the Capital. Light rail has been incredibly transformational here for the ACT. You can see new suburbs developing, people being able to get to work and to move around the city in a different way because you've got such a fantastic public transport network. These are the sorts of partnerships that the Albanese Labor Government wants to have with our State and Territory partners. We want to be able to work collaboratively to ensure we actually increase public transport offerings across the country. The announcement of the contract to get five new light rail vehicles here into the ACT; and importantly, to expand the depot here at Mitchell, means more jobs for maintenance, more jobs for retrofitting these light rail vehicles for batteries, so that the next Stage, Stage 2b can actually become a reality. We're very pleased to partner with the ACT government, in this project. Of course, Senator Katy Gallagher, someone who championed very much the first stage of light rail is regretful she couldn't be here, but she's been telling me just how transformational this project is for the ACT. And I do want to commend the ACT government for its work. I'm happy for Chris and I to take any questions.
JOURNALIST: Minister King, of the $181 million, how much of that is Commonwealth funding?
KING: It's not quite 50/50 but, we are partnering with the ACT government on Stage 2a and obviously the ACT Government will come to us when it's ready to talk about Stage 2b of the project.
JOURNALIST: [inaudible]
KING: So obviously, the National Capital Authority will have a bit to say about that. But my view is this has been a game changer for the ACT. I used to live here. I lived here for six years in my 30s and you couldn't get around without a car, it's as simple as that. You either caught the bus or you drove your car and it was really difficult to get around. The fact that you've now got a public transport network with one that you want to extend to Woden, really shows the foresight of the ACT government in making sure people have a modern public transport system and affordable public transport system for the people of the ACT.
JOURNALIST: Senator Gallagher has talked about the incoming Labor government needing to understand what a previous Commonwealth commitment for funding for light rail entailed; what that actually covered. Do you have a better sense of what that money covers now? And would you say that the Commonwealth is in a position to look at future funding for this project?
KING: As we head into the October budget, we will have negotiations with the ACT Government, we will bed all of that down in terms of what the previous Government committed and some further asks from the ACT Government. As we head into the May Budget, I'm sure the ACT Government will want to talk to us about our future funding commitments, whether it's for public transport, or other road or other infrastructure projects here in the ACT. The October Budget is where we're focusing on delivering the election commitments we made here. Particularly election commitments in relation to active transport, but also really bedding down the next phase of light rail and those commitments of infrastructure here in the ACT.
JOURNALIST: [inaudible]
STEEL: In relation to the funding for the project. What we're announcing today, is that we signed a contract for $181.2 million with Canberra Metro, so this will be funded out of the existing appropriation for this project, which was jointly funded by the Australian Government and the ACT Government.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible]
Dr. DUNCAN EDGHILL, MAJOR PROJECTS CANBERRA: The vehicles that we're buying today are similar but different to other vehicles that are operating around the world, including in Sydney. The 14 LRVs that we have already in Canberra, have been performing exceptionally and we are delighted to be adding five more LRVs today to that mix. Our engineers of course have been working very closely with Canberra Metro and with the vehicle supplier around the technical requirements for those vehicles. [inaudible] The new light rail vehicles will be purchasing today will perform as well if not better than vehicles that are already performing so well.
JOURNALIST: How long will the retrofitting process take for one vehicle and then for the whole the whole fleet?
EDGHILL: The way that the process will work is the new LRVs will come on board in Canberra in mid-to-late 2024. Once the new light rail vehicles are in the fleet, that allows us to take existing light rail vehicles one by one out of operation, so that they can be retrofitted with the batteries. And the reason that we're doing that is to ensure that there's no loss of service to our customers as that retrofitting processes is taking place for each vehicle and it will take a number of a number of months to actually undertake the retrofitting itself. And then there is a testing and commissioning period where the new light rail vehicles and the retrofitted light rail vehicles will be operating and being tested on our tracks performing community service. And that process of retrofitting will take place from 2024 through to 2026.
JOURNALIST: [inaudible]
EDGHILL: Eagle eyed Canberrans may be able to notice the difference between the new models light rail vehicles that we're purchasing today and the existing fleet. But for all intents and purposes, they look very, very similar to the existing fleet that we have.
JOUNALIST: [inaudible]
STEEL: Well, it's early days and Minister King has only been in the role for 10 weeks. So not too long. And I've had the opportunity to meet with her three times over the last week, including with other Ministerial colleagues around the country, as well for the first time discussing important issues relating to public transport, but also the zero emissions transition as well. So, we'll continue to have those discussions, you saw yesterday that we have partnered with the Commonwealth to get further investment in our recycling infrastructure. We'll also be talking of course talking to them about how we continue to invest in public transport infrastructure and other types of infrastructure like housing, as well in other portfolios. This is a really collaborative relationship that we're building here and it's been a vast difference to what we experienced under the previous Coalition Government.