Page 2851 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 13 September 1994
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I also acknowledge Mrs Carnell's comments that the Fire Commissioner, Mr Dance, felt comfortable with the amendments that Mrs Carnell is proposing. As I said earlier, I believe that they are sensible measures. I do not think the earth will change dramatically as a result of this measure. I think they are very sensible measures that Mrs Carnell is proposing and I think it is appropriate that the Assembly support them.
MR MOORE (9.46): I would just like to take the opportunity to make one further comment, following the contribution made by Mr Berry. I think what was not clarified in my mind was the notion that we can have a simple set floor loading; so, if we take 1,000 square metres of this area around us we can say, "We have one door over there and we have one door leading in. We should have so many people there, from a fire safety perspective. If we have these other four doors there, surely from a fire perspective you will be able to have more people. From a safety perspective, surely you should be able to have more people in this building". To me, that seems self-evident. I see Mr Berry shaking his head, but he did not provide anything there that would suggest to me that that was not the case. I still have not heard it. Unless I do hear something, I will be supporting the amendments.
MR CONNOLLY (Attorney-General and Minister for Health) (9.47): There is a faint hint there, "Unless I hear something, I will be supporting the amendments". Perhaps minds have not been made up. It is regrettable that, on an issue of this importance, the voluminous briefings and our track record - our proven record of bringing officials in, bringing them to your offices, taking you to their offices, ensuring that Independents can get whatever information they want - were not taken up, because we would have been more than happy to let you talk to police commissioners, fire commissioners, liquor licensing people, and to hear all the advice that we have acted on to say, "No change".
Basically, the way the regime works is that the Building Code establishes a maximum at essentially one person per square metre. It varies if it is a bar or whatever. That is the maximum. If it is 500 square metres, that is 500 people maximum. If it is up a pokey, rickety set of stairs, the Fire Commissioner may well say, "Well, the maximum is that, but I will set a lower number". What you are really asking for here is, "The maximum is that, and we will let you go more. We will let you actually squeeze in a few more above the maximum". That is why we say, on the advice we have taken from police and fire officers, "Do not do it". That is our advice. That is what we say to the Assembly.
MR BERRY (Manager of Government Business) (9.48): Much has been made of the Fire Commissioner being comfortable about these matters. Very clearly, in the letter that I tabled, he is not as comfortable as Mrs Carnell suggests, because he says "... that the current method used by the Fire Commissioner to determine occupancy loading for licensed premises be maintained". There is a clear - - -
Mrs Carnell: Does he say that he is not comfortable with the new one?
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