Mr WOOD - 2004-06-17
The Commonwealth government recently announced its road funding for the NT. Included in that funding was an allocation of money to extend Tiger Brennan Drive to Palmerston. Can the minister, who says he is concerned about the proliferation of traffic lights along the Stuart Highway, say whether his government will connect the Palmerston end of Tiger Brennan Drive to the Stuart Highway via an overpass to eliminate at least one set of lights that are the scourge of rural people travelling to town? I remind the minister that this was the original design for the connection of the Stuart Highway to Tiger Brennan Drive. It would be nice if we could do something like that for a change instead of the cheap option of traffic lights.
ANSWER
Well that is ...
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, a little less filibustering. Perhaps a shorter answer.
Dr BURNS: I was not filibustering, Madam Speaker.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: A shorter answer, minister.
Dr BURNS: I was just demonstrating that I know about my portfolio areas. Let me say, if there is one thing the members for Nelson and Brennan and I - and probably a few other people - agree on, is that there are too many traffic lights.
Incidentally, I had a strategic meeting with my department yesterday, and that is my request: I want fewer traffic lights. I am with you, member for Nelson. As part of the planning for that, I will be looking to eliminate traffic lights along our strategic roads, and I am assured by the department that that is certainly on their agenda.
We are in a fortunate position in the Territory. We have two great carriageways; one is the Stuart Highway and the other one is Tiger Brennan Drive. Interstate, they pay hundreds of millions of dollars for these, and the last thing I want to see is a proliferation of traffic lights along them. That is my mission in life in respect of that. I will probably have a bit of a battle with some of the engineers, but I am prepared to fight the good fight.
ANSWER
Well that is ...
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, a little less filibustering. Perhaps a shorter answer.
Dr BURNS: I was not filibustering, Madam Speaker.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: A shorter answer, minister.
Dr BURNS: I was just demonstrating that I know about my portfolio areas. Let me say, if there is one thing the members for Nelson and Brennan and I - and probably a few other people - agree on, is that there are too many traffic lights.
Incidentally, I had a strategic meeting with my department yesterday, and that is my request: I want fewer traffic lights. I am with you, member for Nelson. As part of the planning for that, I will be looking to eliminate traffic lights along our strategic roads, and I am assured by the department that that is certainly on their agenda.
We are in a fortunate position in the Territory. We have two great carriageways; one is the Stuart Highway and the other one is Tiger Brennan Drive. Interstate, they pay hundreds of millions of dollars for these, and the last thing I want to see is a proliferation of traffic lights along them. That is my mission in life in respect of that. I will probably have a bit of a battle with some of the engineers, but I am prepared to fight the good fight.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016