Page 5055 - Week 17 - Wednesday, 12 December 1990
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SUMMERNATS
MS FOLLETT (Leader of the Opposition) (11.16): I move:
That -
(1) it is the concern of this Assembly that proper and co-ordinated planning for this year's Summernats has not yet been concluded; and
(2) this Assembly calls on the Government to provide an unqualified assurance that the previous commitment made by the Government will be honoured and that, in particular, proper policing will be provided for this year's Summernats.
My reason for moving this motion at this time of the year is that the issue of the Summernats will be upon us very shortly. Earlier this year I drew attention to this function and to the difficulties that were experienced on account of the function by people in the north Canberra area. Those difficulties, I am sure members will recall, related to things like car racing in the streets, dangerous driving, incidents of people camping in public areas where camping is not actually allowed, incidents of damage to private property and offensive behaviour. There was a significant amount of noise pollution; there were significant amounts of rubbish to be removed. All in all, for a lot of the people in the north Canberra area it was not a happy event at all.
When I raised it previously I said that I am not opposed to the Summernats; I think it should go ahead. But, if the degree of discomfort and nuisance and worry to the people in the area is such that they do not feel they can live with it, then I think that something has to be done about the event. I raised the issue of the Summernats last year in the hope of getting some effective response from the Government and indeed, at that time, we had any number of assurances from Mr Duby that everything was all right, it had all been taken in hand and he had the matter totally under control.
I raise it again this year because I really do not think that that is the case. I have been made aware from a couple of sources that people remain very concerned about the Summernats, and some of them, in fact, are dreading the recurrence this year of the events of last year. I know that local residents have mentioned it to me. I know that the newly formed Watson Community Association and the Neighbourhood Watch in the area have expressed grave concern, and I must say, Mr Speaker, that officers of the Australian Federal Police at a senior level have mentioned informally to me that they are not very happy with the arrangements that are in place either.
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