Page 1999 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 5 June 1990
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in our schools or as some part of the Education Department budget?
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, first of all I share Mr Wood's concern about the Noah's Ark toy library. Of course that is important and I do not pretend I am not concerned with it merely because I cannot supply Mr Wood with detailed answers about what will happen to it at this stage. I understand that rent collected from the use of educational buildings does go back to the Department of Education at the present time. Whether that is always a net plus to the department and therefore to the education budget is a matter which I cannot say. I suspect that in many cases the buildings are rented out at less than commercial rates because there simply are not any alternative suitable tenants available. I will, however, undertake to get back to Mr Wood and give him any more information about the tenancy arrangements that he might require.
Melba Flats
MR STEVENSON: My question is to Mr Collaery. It concerns the dramatic downturn in trade - 25 per cent - at the Melba shops caused by the proposed closure of the Melba Flats. Would the Attorney-General please indicate when the demolition will be commenced and completed and when redevelopment will be commenced and completed?
MR COLLAERY: I thank Mr Stevenson for the question though I could have said that the business side would be answered by Mr Duby. The Melba Flats redevelopment is one of the largest and most ambitious public housing redevelopment schemes attempted in the ACT. Indeed, I am advised that it is of the same dimensions as the classic Woolloomooloo redevelopment that took place in Sydney some years ago. Minister Grassby put the process under way and I sealed the actual arrangements.
Originally there were 460 dwellings in the complex, as I recall. I am not aware whether the figure of 1,000 people is correct but, be that as it may, I was advised last week that demolition on stage 1 is imminent and arrangements are currently being made to ensure that when the demolition commences provision will be made for public access to the demolition site to enable the public to purchase recyclable material. There has been consideration of that issue. So that might up the business in the area, Mr Stevenson, but of a different kind and for a short period.
I should inform Mr Stevenson that Melba Flats themselves will not be rebuilt in the same place. A proposal is being discussed at the moment with the Uniting Church which is on the periphery of the original Melba Flats area. It is in the context of a joint development between the Uniting Church and the Housing Trust for a block of up to 50 aged persons units, but we need to study the social implications of a block of villas that large at this stage.
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