Tuesday, 15 August 2006

MR SPEAKER (Mr Berry) took the chair at 10.30 am, made a formal recognition that the Assembly was meeting on the lands of the traditional owners, and asked members to stand in silence and pray or reflect on their responsibilities to the people of the Australian Capital Territory.

Petitions

The following petitions were lodged for presentation:

Dragway

By Mr Berry, from 12 residents:

• We value the peace and quiet enjoyed by residents in the Majura Valley and the suburbs of Watson, Hackett, Ainslie and Campbell.
• The Mt Ainslie/Majura Nature Reserve is one of Canberra's favourite public places, which we also value for its peace and quiet.
• The proposed dragway at block 51, Majura Valley will generate levels of noise pollution that will destroy what we value.
• Other impacts of the proposed dragway concern us too, because they threaten Aboriginal and European heritage, wildlife corridors, the Molonglo catchment, and the productivity of agricultural land.
• Spending large amounts of public money on a private dragway is unacceptable to us, particularly in times of budgetary hardship.
• We strongly object to any ongoing subsidies for the proposed dragway, or any further expenditure of public money beyond what has been appropriated ($8m).
• In short, the costs of the dragway (both financial and non-financial) are unreasonable, and therefore unacceptable to us.

Housing—Narrabundah Long Stay Caravan Park

By Mr Berry, from 25 residents: