Page 1265 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 23 August 1989
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Question put:
That the motion, as amended, be agreed to.
The Assembly voted -
AYES, 10 NOES, 7
Mr Collaery Mr Berry
Mr Humphries Mr Duby
Mr Jensen Ms Follett
Mr Kaine Mrs Grassby
Dr Kinloch Ms Maher
Mr Moore Mr Whalan
Mrs Nolan Mr Wood
Mr Prowse
Mr Stefaniak
Mr Stevenson
Question resolved in the affirmative.
CANBERRA TIMES BUILDING SITE
Discussion of Matter of Public Importance
MR SPEAKER: I have received a letter from Mr Kaine proposing that a matter of public importance be submitted to the Assembly for discussion, namely:
The Canberra Times building site decision and its effect upon the economy of the ACT.
MR KAINE (Leader of the Opposition) (4.35): Mr Speaker, I would have to say that I consider it a matter of regret that we have had to sit through an hour and a half or more of a rather unproductive debate when a matter of the importance and urgency of this matter was on the agenda to be debated today. The subject matter is the Canberra Times building site decision and its effect upon the economy of the ACT, a matter that calls for urgent and positive action in the interests of this community.
The background to this most significant and important matter is well known. Briefly, on 21 July Mr Justice Kelly in the Supreme Court rejected an application by Concrete Constructions to vary the lease purpose clause relating to the old Canberra Times site in Mort Street. The company had purchased the vacant site in 1985 for $7.5m and had planned to erect a six or seven storey office building housing some 700 workers.
The grounds for Mr Justice Kelly's rejection, in general, were that there were long-term traffic and pollution problems facing the area. Those are the facts, and it is not my intention to debate the rights or wrongs of that decision. Let me say at the outset that my comments are in
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