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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 12 Hansard (21 November) . . Page.. 3964 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

If there was, for example, an Aboriginal artist there producing Aboriginal bark paintings, those paintings could be sold on the site, but the business could not import from Queensland a lot of Aboriginal art and sell that in stage 3. There are already establishments in stages 1 and 2 where those could be sold.

In those terms the Government has been prepared to allow stage 3 of the Federation Square complex to proceed. It is essentially not about retailing; it is about tourist attractions that will bring people to that part of Canberra and, hopefully, produce some improvement in the fortunes of that part of Canberra, which has had a lot of money invested in it but has not quite taken off as it should as a major tourist site. Certainly, there are some retailers there who have been struggling a bit. I do not know whether there was a recommendation by the helpShop people. If there was, I think it has been taken into account in the process that I have indicated today. If there is anything else that I have not advised Mr Moore of, I will take the question on notice and give him information about it.

MR MOORE: I have a supplementary question. Minister, did you not put the same sort of restricted conditions on stage 2? Whether it was you or not, were there not a set of restrictive conditions put on stage 2 that were later changed, and what would make anybody believe that the same conditions would remain on stage 3? Surely, if stage 3 appears not to be working in the way that you have allowed, then there will be an application for a change in the way they can use it and it will become ordinary retail. How do you propose to police it?

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I certainly did not put any conditions on stage 2, because I was not the Minister at the time. My understanding is that undertakings were given in respect of stage 2 which, it has been argued subsequently, have not been met. I propose that a stronger mechanism be used in respect of stage 3 - that is, that there be conditions written into the grant of a lease that would prevent the sale there of material which is not produced on the site, with the exception of opals. If that is breached, the capacity to enforce is much stronger than it is with a mere undertaking.

MR BERRY: My question is directed to the Minister for Health. In relation to the absence of a director of mental health services you have said, and it is reported in the Canberra Times, that the Mental Health Service was operating as it normally would as Dr Rosenman's delegations of authority were still in force. How many such delegations have been made since the Act commenced? How many have you approved? Will you table all of the delegations from those categories by the close of business today?

MRS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, all I could say is: Of course I can! Off the top of my head I can tell you all of the delegations! Obviously, I cannot. I can answer this question if I want to.

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