Page 860 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 13 March 1991
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MR DUBY: Mr Speaker, I regard this as a very churlish question. I do not know the answers to those questions off the top of my head, and I shall undertake to obtain them; but I think it is worth pointing out, of course, that the Department of Urban Services float in the Canberra Day parade won the grand champion award for the best float - something that I personally was very proud of. I do not know what those costs or man-hours involved will come out at. I know that an awful lot of it was volunteer labour and volunteer services provided by people in terms of both design and execution and in staff time on the weekend itself to participate in that particular parade. However, I shall obtain those costs that Mr Moore requests. I know that the staff at Urban Services will be delighted to obtain them for him.
Fyshwick Bus Services
MRS GRASSBY: My question is also to Mr Duby. Can the Minister explain why the 371 Fyshwick bus route has been cancelled when it appears to have been better patronised than the remaining Fyshwick bus route?
MR DUBY: I thank Mrs Grassby for the question. I notice that she says "appears". That seems to be the operative word in the question, so it is pretty apparent that she has gone fishing here. I know that there have been a number of complaints about the changes to the bus services that apply to Fyshwick, but I can say that there was consultation between ACTION management and users concerning the disbanding of the Fyshwick express service,. In particular, the consultation also occurred, I believe, between ACTION and the Fyshwick Chamber of Commerce.
But, despite that, ACTION is now receiving submissions, especially for the introduction of the express service from Civic to Fyshwick. I know that one particular newspaper reporter who works in the Fyshwick area at the Canberra Times is very keen to have the service reinstated, and good luck to him too. We are reviewing the loadings for the Fyshwick services and we will be meeting with the Fyshwick Chamber of Commerce later this very week to determine whether it is appropriate that an express service be introduced. At this stage, it would appear that that would be the likely outcome, given the indication by many users that they would patronise an express service at certain times of the day and make it a more viable service than that which previously existed.
MRS GRASSBY: I have a supplementary question. Can the Minister inform the Assembly what he has done to placate his departmental officers based at Fyshwick who have been affected by this decision?
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