Page 2604 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 14 October 1992
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Tilt Train Proposal
MR DE DOMENICO: My question without notice is directed to the Chief Minister and concerns the tilt train proposal. Has the Chief Minister spoken formally to anyone in the New South Wales Government about the tilt train proposal? Besides agreeing publicly about the benefits of it, what has been her Government's commitment so far to the proposal? In her opinion, if she has done a feasibility study, how viable does she think it will be for the future of the ACT?
MS FOLLETT: I thank Mr De Domenico for his question. The tilt train proposal is one to which this Government has given support. I think all members would agree that the train service between Sydney and Canberra has been abysmally inadequate for quite some time. Unfortunately, it is the responsibility of the New South Wales Government to provide that service, and at this stage they have not completely fulfilled that responsibility.
Clearly, I am interested in the tilt train proposal. It offers a high speed and relatively low cost transport option between Sydney and Canberra. I believe also that train travel is environmentally sound and therefore should be supported. I have not personally spoken with the New South Wales Minister, Mr Baird, although I have had correspondence with him. That has been the limit of my involvement. In my correspondence I indicated support for the proposal and a willingness to further explore it by calling for expressions of interest from the private sector and so on. I understand that my colleague Mr Wood's officers have had discussions with New South Wales officers involved in the project, and there is a joint committee operating to further progress this proposal. It is a proposal I support. I hope that it will come to fruition. At the stage of development we have reached to this point, I cannot indicate whether or not it will come to fruition; but it is one the Government will support.
MR DE DOMENICO: I have a supplementary question, Madam Speaker. I ask very briefly: As all this work is going on, will the Government be entertaining a feasibility study to make sure that investors, before they are asked to invest money, have something to go on?
MS FOLLETT: I believe that that is part of the process that is going on. Certainly, it would seem to me to be only sensible. I am not able to report to the Assembly in detail on this. Perhaps it would be advisable if I were to get some more detailed briefing and come back to Mr De Domenico and the Assembly as soon as I can.
Housing Finance Statistics
MR LAMONT: My question is also directed to the Chief Minister. Bearing in mind that the pre-eminent economic activity indicators were released this morning in relation to the finance statistics, what do the housing finance statistics show about the local economy?
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