Page 229 - Week 01 - Thursday, 18 February 1993
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Road Maintenance
MR WESTENDE: My question without notice is directed to the Minister for Urban Services. Is the Minister aware that some States and councils are experimenting in, and in some cases have changed, their methods of road maintenance, by having more but smaller road gangs to repair potholes, and in the process are saving something like 30 per cent? They have changed most of their crews from, say, six-man crews to in some cases four and in some cases only two. The savings occur to a large extent because the increased numbers of crews are able to fill in a hole when it is only 15 or 20 centimetres wide instead of waiting till it is half a yard wide. Will the Minister consider a similar program in the ACT, through either day labour or contracting out? Has the Minister noticed that there is a deterioration in the state of some of the roads in the ACT?
MR CONNOLLY: Madam Speaker, there is some deterioration in the state of the roads in the ACT. There is no question about that. This Government responded to overwhelming views in the ratepayer survey, and generally the prevailing view that one picks up, that we were spending too much on what was seen as unnecessary road maintenance. There was a strong public push about 18 months ago to reduce that road maintenance.
Mr Kaine: It was painting white lines that they objected to.
MR CONNOLLY: It was, Mr Kaine, and we know who was responsible for that, do we not?
Mr Humphries: Duby lines, was it?
MR CONNOLLY: The Duby lines. Madam Speaker, we conducted a very comprehensive survey on road maintenance, which was published some time ago and copies circulated to members. It shows that for the long-term protection of that asset we do need to increase our road maintenance expenditure, and I would expect some debate in this place in due course, probably in these sittings, about that. We are constantly looking at changing work practices within our day labour groups. We have done a lot in the building asset management area. Changes are occurring in roads and lines and signs as well. I will take on notice Mr Westende's specific question about the size of gangs and the respective efficiencies and get back to him, but I suspect that the answer will be that there has been some change there. Certainly the unions acknowledge that some of the work practices in those areas have not been as efficient as they can be, and we have unions working now with management changing work practices in those areas.
Water Usage
MS SZUTY: Madam Speaker, my question without notice is also to the Minister for Urban Services. In January the ABC's local radio station 2CN held, in conjunction with ACTEW, a hints and tips line for people with hints on saving water. The results, as I understand it, are to be published in much the same fashion as the previous hints on saving electricity. There was some debate engendered as a result, with particular emphasis on the current system of a free water allowance and excess water rates as the basis for water charges. Will the Minister inform the Assembly whether he would consider introducing a user pays system of water usage based on the actual water use of each household, should ACTEW recommend it?
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