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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 5 (Hansard) 16 May) . . Page.. 1392 ..

MR DE DOMENICO (continuing):

Mr Whitecross, quite correctly, talked about enforcement. Mr Whitecross should know that it is not a problem for just the Department of Urban Services. That is why we had representation - I thank Mr Humphries for his involvement as well - from the Planning Authority. It is quite easy, in an executive way, Mr Whitecross. I can, with the stroke of a pen, stop trucks from being parked on streets. That is easy. But if they cannot park them on streets they will park them on nature strips, which is what happens now. Under these new rules and guidelines, once that happens, it is an offence, or it will be an offence should this Assembly agree to amending that legislation, the Land (Planning and Environment) Act. I agree that in the past we have been lax in not enforcing existing regulations; but I can assure you, Mr Whitecross, that if this Assembly agrees to amendments of the legislation that will happen from now on. That is why I am suggesting that these guidelines before us are stricter than what is currently happening.

Turning to the area of costs, once again Ms Horodny automatically said, "Let us establish some truck parking areas". As I recall, the cost is somewhere along these lines: If we were to build a secure truck parking area - the operative word being "secure" - to park 150 trucks, it would cost somewhere in the vicinity of $5.8m. By the way, $3m of the $5.8m would be for paved truck parking areas. Ms Horodny also said, "We do not need paved areas. You can park them on grasslands around the place. There are plenty of grasslands". Ms Horodny, say, for example, that you currently live next-door to a grassed area but you do not have a truck parked next to you. What if the Government all of a sudden says, "We will allow trucks to be parked on grassed areas", and you have 150 - - -

Ms Horodny: Mr Speaker, I take a point of order. I never said that trucks could be parked on grassland.

MR SPEAKER: Order! You will have the opportunity, if you wish, under standing order 46 - - -

Ms Horodny: I have been misrepresented.

MR SPEAKER: You will have the opportunity to correct any misconception after Mr De Domenico has finished his comments.

MR DE DOMENICO: Mr Speaker, should I have misrepresented in any way, shape or form what Ms Horodny may or may not have said from time to time, because she tends to change her mind from time to time, I apologise profusely. I take it, Mr Speaker, that Ms Horodny would mean that either you can park them on concreted and paved land, or you can park them on non-paved land. If you park them on paved land it will cost $5.8m. If you park them on unpaved land it will cost $2.8m. The point I was trying to make, Mr Speaker, is that some of that unpaved land is next to residential areas. If someone happens to live next to that unpaved land where there are no trucks now and we allowed trucks to be parked there, they would be pretty upset, I dare say, especially when we are talking about $5.8m to park 150 trucks.

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