Page 2104 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 9 September 1992
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Eagle Hawk Hill Resort Motel - Water Supply
MR MOORE: My question is addressed to Mr Connolly as Minister for Urban Services. It is a question which I gave him notice of yesterday. Is the ACT Government going to provide reticulated water across the border to the Eagle Hawk Hill Resort Motel? What will it cost the ACT in the short term and the long term, and who will pay these costs?
MR CONNOLLY: We have been approached by the Eagle Hawk motel and tourist development people, who say that they would like to purchase water from us on the basis that they pay the full cost of supply, so that no public funds would be involved. But no decision has been made by the Government as to whether that will occur. Water supply is a matter that has been before the South East Economic Development Council on a number of occasions because there are economic benefits for the region. There are, of course, planning difficulties which my colleague Mr Wood is well aware of. We obviously do not want to encourage ribbon development or strip development on the fringes of the ACT. Whether or not we supply that tourist facility with water is a matter that the Government will consider in due course.
MR MOORE: I ask a supplementary question, Madam Speaker. You touched on the notion of precedent, Minister. Will you consider the importance of setting a precedent that would allow those engaging in ribbon development around the area to argue that it would be appropriate to extend a water supply to them? Would this not encourage planning difficulties?
MR CONNOLLY: Obviously, that would be a problem. But I do not subscribe to an absolutist view that no service ought ever to be supplied across a State border. That sort of absolutist State view in the past has resulted in radial electricity and water supplies from one State capital to outlying regions when it would have been far more sensible to do a cross-border arrangement. As we are obviously committed to the south-east regional economic focus, there may be occasions when cross-border supply is appropriate. But the point is well made that it would have to be looked at very carefully. The risk of planning and development problems flowing from the encouragement of ribbon development is very clear, so any application would be looked at on its merits. The premise would be that no ACT public money would be involved.
Government Service - Provision of Information to
Assembly Members
MADAM SPEAKER: I call Mr Humphries.
MR HUMPHRIES: My question - - -
Mr Stevenson: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. Standing order 44 says:
When two or more Members rise to speak the Speaker shall call on the Member who rose first.
I think in this case I was clearly ahead of Mr Humphries.
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