Page 2294 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 1 November 1989
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In the assessment the assessor shall take into account the operation of the aquarium water systems. As far as I am concerned, that does not apply to the salt-water area or to the other areas. We are talking specifically about a series of small aquariums, or aquaria, if you prefer - it is optional; both are in the dictionary, I have checked - which are the only ones that are of real concern to the public. Our committee has indicated that it believes those concerns are handled by a technical response and that that technical response appears, to the best of our knowledge, to be satisfactory.
The broader question, much more critical in terms of this whole concept, is that the public has to be sure. As Mr Wood said, there has been a series of allegations of corruption over the past year, and one of the concerns that people have is that public servants tend to be interested in not only advising their Ministers but also, where possible, trying to deliver for their Ministers. I am not taking away from public servants at all, because the public servants that we have dealt with in this and every other issue have advised competently, and everything that they have done has been, as far as I am concerned, in order. However, we still need to have the public reassured that everything is above board and in order. With that in mind, I will be presenting a positive approach on this issue to the Assembly, hopefully in the next sitting.
Mr Speaker, I am pleased to have this opportunity to be able to distinguish for the first time between dealing with issues and dealing with personalities. In this instance we are dealing with the issue. I believe that the Conservation, Heritage and Environment Committee has dealt with the issue very well and I believe that it is now incumbent upon me to apologise to Mr Da Deppo for anything that has caused him or his business any difficulties. In fact, I hope that the old adage about any advertising being good advertising rubs off on him to some extent anyway and that he gets some compensation in that way.
I accept my responsibility in that regard. However, I do feel it is important that, when an environmental question comes up, we use this forum to question and to be absolutely sure that our environment is being protected. That is particularly so when we are talking, as in this case, about the huge waterway, the Murray-Darling system. With those words, I commend to the Assembly the report of this inquiry into the environmental aspects of the National Aquarium project by this committee.
Debate (on motion by Ms Follett) adjourned.
Sitting suspended from 11.40 am to 2.30 pm
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