Liberals backflip on Woden light rail revelations

He now claims the party is committed to Woden as stage two of light rail.

The party's transport spokeswoman, Candice Burch, on Tuesday night told a Conservation Council forum the Liberals would do a study to determine where stage two should go.

She said she received a lot of feedback from Canberrans that the Belconnen line would be the logical next step.

During a press conference with Mr Coe on Wednesday, she doubled down on that suggestion, committing to an independent analysis on what stage two of light rail should look like.

But by Thursday morning, Mr Coe said the Liberals were committed to Woden as the next leg of light rail.

"The next stage of light rail will be from the city to Woden," he said.

"We've always said that we support doing an independent assessment of the business case and importantly to release the business case.

"The government refuses to release the business case, and they also refuse to release any information about the engineering studies that have been completed."

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Mr Coe did not explain why the Liberals had earlier in the week suggested the route could change.

He said there should be forward planning for stage three and four.

Transport Minister Chris Steel said the backflip was embarrassing.

"Their commitment to an independent review into light rail to Woden is nothing more than a signal of their opposition to the project, and would likely add years in delays," he said.

"This latest backflip comes after significant backlash from the community and business organisations like the Master Builders of Australia.

"Everybody knows that they would not extend light rail if they won the election.

"The only policy the Canberra Liberals have when it comes to light rail is to obstruct, deny and delay."

The backflip came as the Liberals committed $40 million to local road maintenance projects

Mr Coe said the funding would be used for local road upgrades over 12 to 18 months to provide more jobs and stimulate the economy.

He said the party would also spend $300,000 for a feasibility study into completing the duplication of Horse Park Drive and Gungahlin Drive.

The feasibility study would also assess the scope for new trees along Horse Park Drive. "Improving our local roads is not only about delivering the services and amenities that families rely on, but it's also about investing in our economy, creating new jobs and moving the bush capital forward," Mr Coe said