Page 1549 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 17 May 1994
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Motor Sports Site
MS ELLIS: Madam Speaker, my question is addressed to the Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning. I ask the Minister: Following the acoustical study into an alternative site for motor sports in the ACT, can the Minister advise the Assembly whether a decision has been made as yet on a preferred site?
MR WOOD: Madam Speaker, I should make it quite clear that no decision has been made about a preferred site.
Mr Cornwell: Why not?
MR WOOD: We have not even found a site yet that we would wish to say might be a preferred site. Let me point out, in response to a murmur over there from Mr Cornwell, that I am the Minister for the Environment. In that capacity, I am taking every step to ensure that the environmental laws in this Territory are observed. Mr Cornwell says, "Why worry about New South Wales people?". I worry about the law. That is my concern. That is why the Minister for Sport - Mr Berry in the first instance and now my colleague Mr Lamont - has been engaged on studies of a variety of sites to determine whether any of those sites might be the permanent site for motor sports.
We took a very strict stand to begin with. Some members will understand this. I think we added up nine events that might run at the same time, might run during the day or might run during the night. That was the limit in the back of our minds that had to be observed. None of the four sites could meet that very strict requirement - and I acknowledge that it was very strict. As a result of that, we will go back and see whether management can resolve some of those problems. Do you run nine events at the one time? I do not think you do. Maybe some management strategies could solve the problem. But there is a great deal of work yet to be done, and I want it clearly understood that no decisions have yet been taken. The Government is on a fairly careful path to ensure that when we find another site it is going to meet all our quite sound environmental laws.
Ms Follett: I ask that further questions be placed on the notice paper, Madam Speaker.
PRIVILEGE
Statement by Speaker
MADAM SPEAKER: Members, I inform you that, pursuant to standing order 71, I have received written notice from the Attorney-General of an issue concerning the privileges of the Assembly. The matter raised by Mr Connolly relates to a submission lodged with the board of inquiry examining the ACTTAB-VITAB agreement. The document is entitled "Submissions by the ACT Opposition to the Inquiry into the ACTTAB/VITAB Agreement, 22 April 1994 - Non-Confidential Version". In his letter Mr Connolly referred to the fact that the submission invited the inquiry to have regard to debates in the Assembly. Subsection 24(3) of the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988 provides:
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