Page 2593 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 8 August 1990
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School Closures
MS FOLLETT: My question is again directed to the Minister for Health, Education and the Arts. What compensation is the Government planning to provide to the shop owners who purchased their businesses on the understanding that the schools adjacent to, or in the same area as, their businesses would remain open?
MR HUMPHRIES: I thank Ms Follett for her question. I suspect that the Government would provide as much compensation to shop owners in those circumstances as the previous ALP Federal Government provided to shop owners in suburbs where schools were closed in 1988 and 1987. I think, however, that shop owners would be foolish to seek compensation because there is every likelihood that in many cases they could experience increases in business as a result of redevelopment of the sites of some of those schools.
It was the policy of the Follett Government to leave school sites inherited from its predecessors empty and unoccupied, as wasted space, unused, an asset rotting before the eyes of the people of Canberra. This Government, I am pleased to say, has moved quickly. I am sure that if members opposite ask my colleague Mr Duby he will be happy to fill out the details.
Ms Follett: On a point of order, Mr Acting Speaker; I have to draw attention to the irrelevance of the response that Mr Humphries has given. The question was about compensation.
MR ACTING SPEAKER: I will overrule you. I do not think he has reached any grounds of irrelevance yet. Continue, Mr Humphries.
MR HUMPHRIES: It is perfectly obvious, Mr Acting Speaker, to anyone, except Ms Follett, that if sites are redeveloped, in a way which they were not under the previous Government, in many cases housing will be placed on those sites; people will move into those houses, as is the usual case when one builds houses, and those people will want to use services. They will want to use bus routes, shops, service stations and a whole range of community facilities operating in those areas. I think Ms Follett has underestimated urban renewal which comes from those sorts of services. This Government, however, has it higher on its agenda.
Tau Theatre
DR KINLOCH: My question is directed to the Minister for Finance and Urban Services. In the first instance, this may seem rather strange and, to an extent, I apologise for this because the concern comes out of the arts area but
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