Page 2279 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 17 August 1993
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HOSPICE - ACTON PENINSULA
Discussion of Matter of Public Importance
MADAM SPEAKER: I have received a letter from Mr Moore proposing that a matter of public importance be submitted to the Assembly for discussion, namely:
The siting of the hospice on Acton Peninsula.
MR MOORE (4.06): It gives me pleasure to rise. I am delighted that I manage to squeeze in before Mr Lamont, although no doubt, Madam Speaker, the Assembly is going to be listening very attentively to the important words that he has to say with reference to his committee.
Madam Speaker, I think it is important today to air some of the issues surrounding the hospice on Acton Peninsula. I decided, in writing to you, to nominate as the matter for discussion today the siting of the hospice on Acton Peninsula in order that the discussion could be as broad as possible. I think it is appropriate to start with the political background to the siting of the hospice on Acton Peninsula. I want to go as far back as the last election, Madam Speaker. The reason I want to go back to the last election is that that is when people who are in this Assembly made their various commitments to the people of Canberra.
It seems to me, Madam Speaker, that a Labor commitment to provide a hospice on the Acton Peninsula is a commitment that clearly they must work to achieve. I also would like to draw attention to my own commitment and that of Ms Szuty, because we also supported the notion of health facilities and, specifically, a hospice on the Acton Peninsula site. The concept of health facilities on the Acton Peninsula from my perspective was as part of a preservation of those important buildings that constituted the Royal Canberra Hospital. I perceived, Mr Deputy Speaker, that the health facilities that would be needed on the Acton Peninsula were part of establishing that peninsula as a health facility site, or re-establishing it in that way.
One of the interesting things that we hear around the traps, Mr Deputy Speaker, is this: What are the influences that have brought about the notion that, yes, a hospice can go on the Acton Peninsula; it will have a nice new fresh site and we can have a nice new fresh building? Certainly there are a number of interest groups. From the public we hear of a series of lobby groups. The most notable recently, I think, is the Acton West Basin Community Consultative Committee. They lobby very heavily to ensure that health facilities are retained on Acton Peninsula, and expanded. They look at various options as well as a hospice. Then we have the left wing of the Labor Party, the right wing of the Labor Party, and those not committed to either the left wing or the right wing of the Labor Party. Then there is the left wing within the left wing of the Labor Party, and the right wing within the left wing of the Labor Party, and so on. The factions continue to break up. Other groups with some interest in the development on the Acton Peninsula are the NCPA and members of the Federal Government. We have heard statements on this issue by Mr Langmore, one of the local members of the House of Representatives. Developers have an interest in what happens on Acton Peninsula. Generally, as one goes around this community talking to people, I think all members will agree that there is a vital interest by individuals in what happens on the Acton Peninsula.
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