HANSARD
SITTING CALENDAR
SEARCH
LIVE BROADCAST
Hansard Dynamic Member Index
House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-05-26 Daily Xml
Contents
Pdf Xml

WORLD BUSINESS SUMMIT ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Ms FOX (Bright) (15:17): In the past year I had the great privilege to visit Denmark for four days, representing the South Australian government at the World Business Summit on Climate Change, which was, of course, an important precursor to the UN Climate Change Conference, held last December.

Earlier this week I had a meeting, in my role as Deputy Speaker, with Mrs Susanne Shine, the Danish Ambassador to Australia. It was great pleasure to meet her as it is all the ambassadors who come to present their greetings to our parliament. During a very informative session with the Danish ambassador, she informed me that 37 per cent of people who live in Copenhagen go to work on their bicycles, and it is true that at rush hour the bicycle lanes are absolutely full in Copenhagen.

I am sorry to hear that the Copenhagen-style bike lane, costing some $500,000, installed by the Adelaide City Council, is to be scrapped. I understand the parents of those students attending Sturt Street Primary School, residents and shop owners have expressed their dissatisfaction with the outcome of the bicycle lane, as has, I think, the member for Adelaide. Even cyclists on cycling websites have pointed out that the bicycle lane, while a good idea on paper, did not really work out in reality. However, I do think it is worth pointing out that at least the Adelaide City Council tried to do something different. They try to seek to reduce traffic emissions and congestion.

I have heard a number of people on radio and, indeed, online saying, 'But we're not Copenhagen. Adelaide was not built for this.' Let's remember that Adelaide was first planned in 1836. Adelaide was not designed for vehicles either. It was designed for horses and carts, as was Copenhagen.

The fact of the matter is that, while there are very many similarities between Copenhagen and Adelaide, some 40 years ago there was an oil crisis in Europe in the early 1970s and, of course, by 1974 the price of oil had quadrupled in Denmark. There were deep fears about oil dependence and oil rationing in some parts of Scandinavia. What that did was force a total rethink of the transport culture in Denmark. At the time, Denmark was 99 per cent dependent on foreign oil, and a change in culture was sorely needed.

It would be a huge pity if a crisis of similar magnitude, or indeed nature, was to occur in the southern hemisphere. While our offshore energy dependency does not mirror that of Denmark in 1974, it would nonetheless be advisable for governments at all levels to keep on trying different solutions, as the Adelaide City Council did try to do. While I acknowledge the difficulties faced this time round, I commend the Adelaide City Council for its efforts. All of us find it difficult to change vehicle habits that have been ingrained for generations but it is time to think outside the square and beyond the automobile.

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS
MEMBERS
GET INVOLVED
ABOUT PARLIAMENT
VISIT
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
CONTACT