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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 10 Hansard (7 December) . . Page.. 2776 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

There are other concerns that I have discussed with resident groups. When we return to the issue of North Watson, we should canvass those issues afresh, much as that might cause some of us a bit of a stitch.

Mr Wood: What do you mean by "canvass afresh"?

MR HUMPHRIES: The residents have raised issues about the amenity of that area which, I have to say, I retain an open mind about. What I am saying is that the reason for the Government's deferral of North Watson was not related purely to a view about the need to restrict the flow of land to the ACT marketplace. It was also based on some concern that the residents may have had some justification for their concerns.

Ms McRae: For their horses.

MR HUMPHRIES: I put it no more highly than that at this point. That is a very strange comment from the Labor Party expressing contempt for this point of view. My impression is that there is a fairly strong feeling - - -

Ms McRae: Horses before people every time, Mr Humphries. Very good!

MR HUMPHRIES: There has been a strong view among people in North Watson. It might not be Ms McRae's electorate, but there is a strong point of view there.

Ms McRae: Two people.

MR HUMPHRIES: That is not true.

Ms McRae: Four or six, then.

MR HUMPHRIES: That is not true. The Liberal Party has doorknocked that area in the last 12 months, and the point of view there is quite strong. I know that those opposite would like to write it off because they think it is not important, but of course they will also excoriate us later on today for ignoring community opinion and not consulting with people. I do not know quite where we will end up on that issue with those opposite, but I am sure that whatever we do we will be wrong. That can be assuredly stated.

Mr Speaker, development of the old Starlight Drive-In site will proceed. A clock stop was voluntarily imposed on it when the Stein inquiry was announced. As I understand it, that has now been lifted and we will proceed to deal with the proposal as expeditiously as possible. I hope that the issue is resolved very quickly. Purely from the point of view of allowing people to make decisions about investments in that area, there has been a very long delay in proceeding with work in that area. I acknowledge that some of it has been due to decisions made by the owners of the site but; by the same token, it is also appropriate that we now proceed to lift government barriers to a quick decision on that site. I therefore hope that there will be a decision very soon on what is to be built on that site.

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