Community councils on both sides of the city are keen to survey their members on the $800 million light rail project amid concerns over its cost, impacts and lack of detail.
North Canberra Community Council chairman Mike Hettinger said the council had no consolidated view. "We have not seen a business case, that's one of the big problems. It is hard to evaluate. People on the committee have varying views."
Griffin Narrabundah Community Council's John Edquist said members were not opposed to more investment in public transport, but wanted to see a strict cost/benefit analysis.
They would be opposed if the project proceeded and routes were decided on political grounds alone. If this eventuated, the subsidy required should be detailed in the budget.
Mr Edquist would like to see the government consider what an additional $600 million could achieve for ACTION's bus routes. (The government has quoted a $610 million price tag for light rail and $173 million contingency).
Tuggeranong Community Council has asked the ACT Government not to award any construction contracts until after the 2016 territory elections.
President Eric Traise said he was concerned for Canberrans unable to pay utility bills and rates, having to subsidise the project.
"It is plainly ridiculous to pay this much for just 12 km of light rail that only a small proportion of Canberrans will use. It would be much more sensible to pay ACTION say another $10 million a year to buy more buses to plug the holes in the current services," Mr Traise said.
Weston Creek Community Council chairman Tom Anderson wants a survey of community views.
Mr Anderson said even if a public-private-partnership built the project, the community would be waiting for four years for any return, and on his back-of-envelope calculations, subsidising it would be equivalent to funding the territory's bus service..
"In the long run it will be good, but there is no direct advantage for passenger transport over buses. It is more for the development, and I can understand the government's point of view, but it is the view on the south side everything is going to the north side and the rest, including Belconnen, is forgotten."
Belconnen Community Council president Robyn Coghlan said members' views would be recorded after Capital Metro's presentation to the council on Tuesday night.
Gungahlin Community Council president Ewan Brown said members wanted to make sure the community was kept informed on all options for the project's facilities and their impact.
Members had begun exploring those impacts on the town centre and would pass on their report to Capital Metro, including concerns an interchange for light rail could block off half of the town centre's main street.
Light rail would be valuable if it triggered development, but the council remained worried about traffic being one-way out of Gungahlin.
If there was uncertainty on the project, developers would hold off on building related commercial services, he said.
