Page 1176 - Week 04 - Thursday, 21 April 1994
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
ACTTAB - Contract with VITAB Ltd
MR HUMPHRIES: Madam Speaker, my question is addressed to Mr Lamont as Minister for Sport. I refer to Mr Kaine's question of him concerning a letter of demand from VITAB Ltd.
Mr Lamont: A what?
MR HUMPHRIES: A letter of demand or a letter from VITAB Ltd concerning the contract between VITAB and ACTTAB. Given the intense interest that this Assembly and, indeed, the public have had in this matter, will the Minister undertake to table such a letter in this place if and when he receives it?
MR LAMONT: I thank the member for his question. Obviously, Madam Speaker, I appreciate, as indeed does the Government, the level of interest that has been exercised in this regard. Upon receipt of any such correspondence, it will be dealt with in accordance with what I regard as an appropriate practice - that is, to determine whether or not such information can or should be publicly released, given what could or may be any liability of the Government or any of its agencies. After that consideration has been given, Mr Humphries, I will consider acceding to that request.
MR HUMPHRIES: I have a supplementary question, Madam Speaker. If Mr Lamont has given me a definite maybe, can he tell the Assembly what criteria he would use to not table in this place this letter on this important public matter?
MR LAMONT: I thank the member for his supplementary question. Obviously there are standard tests to determine the level of liability and the degree of liability, and you can rest assured that I will implement them.
Dual Occupancy Developments
MR BERRY: My question is directed to the Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning, and it is in relation to an article in Saturday's Canberra Times in which the Conservation Council urged neighbours of dual occupancies to seek rate reductions because they will be adversely affected by the dual occupancies. Could the Minister respond? Your ears will not be pinned back on this one.
MR WOOD: Madam Speaker, I did see that article, and I think there has been a letter or two about dual occupancies. Members in the Assembly will recall that we changed the Unit Titles Act to allow dual occupancies or to allow unit titling down to two units. That was an encouragement for dual occupancy, and I recall that it had very strong support here. I would also point out that dual occupancies have been a feature of Canberra going back to the early 1980s. The granny flat, for example, is fairly well known in this city. I get the occasional complaint about dual occupancy. The complaint comes to my table from the people who want to provide dual occupancies but who do not like the very strict controls and the strict planning requirements we have put on them - for example, screening to ensure privacy and a range of things.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .