Page 4498 - Week 15 - Thursday, 22 November 1990
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MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, obviously those opposite wish to set up a situation where it is impossible to win. If I march in and say, "I have made a decision which is going to affect the Weston Creek Community Service and incidentally I have not had time to speak to them about it", they are going to cry foul and say, "You have not consulted with the community". When I come in and say that I am going to consult with the community before I make a decision, they say, "Why is not the decision made?". It is absolutely impossible to win with this lot opposite. I have to indicate to them that they will have to be patient. I will talk with the communities concerned and decide, on the basis of those consultations, what the most appropriate movements are.
However, for Mr Berry's benefit, I will indicate that the staying open of Rivett school need not necessarily mean that it is impossible for some activities to be conducted out of that school. For example, the Rivett school itself made reference in the course of their discussions with the Government to surplus space in their school building which they would be very happy to see used for purposes other than educational ones. I personally think it is more than possible that surplus space in the Rivett school could still be used as the location for the Weston Creek Community Service. However, the answer to that question will have to await the discussions which I believe ought to be conducted, even if those opposite do not.
Closure of Plywood Mill
MS MAHER: My question is directed to the Minister for Finance and Urban Services. I understand that Brown and Dureau Building Materials Pty Ltd, a building products company which purchases timber from the ACT Government plantations, has announced closure of its plywood mill at Hume. Can the Minister confirm this and provide any details?
MR DUBY: I thank Ms Maher for the question. Brown and Dureau, a wholly owned subsidiary of Amcor Limited, has operated a plymill/sawmill complex at Hume since 1972. Total employment at the mill at full production levels is around 190 employees. Pine timber from ACT plantations is sold to the mill under a memorandum of agreement which sets out the terms and conditions under which the timber is made available.
The mill produces industrial plywood and sawn timber, the majority of which is sold to the building industry in New South Wales and Queensland in competition with other large interstate pine producers. The depressed state of the building industry during 1990 has affected all the major producers and price discounting is prevalent within the
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