Page 2022 - Week 07 - Thursday, 17 June 1993
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Kippax Library
MS ELLIS: My question is directed to the Minister for Urban Services. Is the Minister aware of rumours that the Government plans to close the Kippax library?
MR CONNOLLY: There have been rumours circulating about the Kippax library. A particular member of the Belconnen Community Council has been saying that the Government is going to close the Kippax library. I can assure you that the Government is not going to close the Kippax library. There was a consultancy undertaken by the Department of Urban Services into the future of the Canberra Library Service which suggested a range of management improvements, and it is true that that consultancy did suggest that the Kippax library could be closed as a savings option. However, that recommendation has been rejected.
Since that consultancy was commissioned we have come up with a better way of saving money in the Library Service, while continuing to provide excellent service and saving money, which is the process that Mr Wood and I have negotiated whereby the main central library, which is now located at Kingston, will be relocated into part of the Griffith Primary School campus. That will achieve an ongoing rent saving to the ACT Library Service approaching $300,000. That represents some 5 per cent of the current library budget.
So in one fell swoop we have moved the library to a better location, which will improve occupational health and safety conditions for the staff working there, provide easier parking and access to people wishing to use the Kingston library, and achieve a 5 per cent saving on the library budget, which means that the library can achieve its government savings targets without having to look at closure of any of the other libraries. In fact, we will be spending a small sum of money this year at the Kippax library to improve the access doors and the foyer area, which is a bit of a problem in wet weather at the moment - thus demonstrating our ongoing commitment to keeping that library open - and we are initiating discussions with the relevant library unions with a view to looking at not cutting back opening hours but in fact extending them.
Ambulance Service - Overtime and Redundancy Payments
MR DE DOMENICO: Madam Speaker, my question without notice is to the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Berry. I refer to a question asked previously this afternoon by Mrs Carnell. Mr Berry, what is your Government's policy on recovering overpayments when pay sections make such payments? As you understand it, what are the procedures for getting back money that has been overpaid?
Ms Follett: Just like Mr Cornwell. Ask him. He would know.
MR BERRY: Yes; one of your own knows about it. You should have talked about this in caucus and he would have been able to explain it to you. He would have closer knowledge of it than I do.
Mr De Domenico: Tell the public about the Government's policy. The question was about the Government's policy.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order!
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