Page 594 - Week 02 - Thursday, 21 February 1991
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Concerning the Dickson Hotel site, the lessee is in fact not yet in breach of the lease. As Assembly members will be aware, the Dickson Hotel was demolished with a view to redevelopment of that site and a new lease was granted on 3 May 1989. There have been some delays in development, again because there have been some financial difficulties in getting the proposal together. We have had discussions with the receiver and manager out there to ascertain the future of the development, and when those discussions are finalised the Government will make an announcement on the possible future of that site.
In relation to section 52 in the city, I am sure members are aware that the lessee of that block has gone into receivership. The receiver called for tenders for the purchase of the lease and tenders closed on 29 November 1990. It is our understanding that no tenderer proffered the amount sought by the receiver. So the Government is now negotiating with the receiver, who has made a proposal to meet the development requirements, and that, again, is under consideration by the Government for the same reason I mentioned earlier: If we can get a project under way there, even if it takes a little time and a little more negotiation, it is clearly in the best interests of all concerned to do that in today's climate.
So, there are difficulties with all of those three sites. The Government is well aware of it. The Government is negotiating constantly on all three. Of course, in the final analysis, if no firm proposal for development comes forward, then we will have no option in the end but to take the lease back and see what can be done in the future.
Aboriginal Education
DR KINLOCH: My question is to Mr Humphries in his role as Minister for Education. At the recently concluded World Council of Churches Assembly, one theme, among many themes, was that of Aborigines in Australia and sometimes the comments were very critical; so I hope that we can come to grips with this question in the ACT. What is being done to provide Aboriginal people in the ACT equality of access to and increased participation in education services?
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I thank Dr Kinloch for that question. The ministry, in collaboration with the Federal Department of Employment, Education and Training and other education providers in the ACT, has developed strategic and operational plans to implement the national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education policy, known as AEP, in the ACT, over this next triennium - the 1990 to 1992 triennium.
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