Page 1665 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 18 May 1994
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Following receipt of the Arts Council's revised program and budget, the Cultural Council advised me that there were serious concerns about the focus and financial management of the Arts Council. Formal discussions began when it became clear that the organisation was most unlikely to have the capacity to deliver a substantial program for this year. Based on that advice, I decided to withhold payment of the second and further instalments of the council's 1994 annual grant. I wrote to the Arts Council advising them of this about a month ago. In that letter, however, I offered the organisation a modest grant appropriate to its current circumstances. This grant is subject to the Arts Council being able to acquit satisfactorily its 1993 annual grant. The Arts Council, as I said, has had a distinguished record in the ACT; it may be that it will do so in the future. But it certainly has a period of difficulty to work through if that is to occur.
Bicycle Paths
MR STEVENSON: My question is to Mr Lamont. It concerns the enjoyable and safe use of bicycle paths throughout Canberra. Concerns have been raised with me to do with people other than cyclists using the bicycle paths - people walk along, people jog along, and I am sure that we do not mind that. Cyclists often ride past at speed without any warning. Many cycles are not fitted with bells as standard; it is particularly dangerous at dusk as there are also many cycles that are not fitted with lamps. In Europe, bikes have bells as standard and they are used all over the place. This is probably a transitional thing as more and more bikes are used. The problem is increasing, and I ask the Minister responsible for the bike paths what educational steps could be taken to ensure that it does not become a major problem.
MR LAMONT: Madam Speaker, the proposal from Mr Stevenson, as I understand it, is that we require that pushbikes be put through some sort of registration inspection to ensure that they - - -
Mr Stevenson: I thought I mentioned educational, to preclude such an idea.
MR LAMONT: Only on the educational part? That is fine. In relation to that part of your question then, it is my understanding that there are educational programs available through the existing school curricula that point out the appropriate use of bicycles in a proper and safe manner.
Mr Wood: The police come in and tell the children that they have to have bells on their bikes, among other things.
MR LAMONT: Part of that campaign, as my ministerial colleague points out, is that the police, in conducting the general road safety courses throughout the ACT school system, provide advice as to how those vehicles should be properly controlled - that they should have lights for night riding, that they should have attached to them a bell for the purposes you have outlined. Obviously it is extremely difficult to police a situation where a cyclist does not indicate to a pedestrian that he is approaching. I think you will appreciate the extreme difficulties in that. I will undertake to provide Mr Stevenson with the documentation that is available about the use of the cycleways and proper practice for the use of pushbikes in the ACT.
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