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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 2 Hansard (20 May) . . Page.. 409 ..

MR OSBORNE (3.31): I seek leave to move the amendment circulated in my name, Mr Speaker.

Leave granted.

MR OSBORNE: I move:

Omit all words after "That", substitute the following words:

"the Standing Committee on Urban Services inquire into and report by Tuesday, 27 October 1998, on ACTION Bus Services with particular reference to:

(1) school bus routes;

(2) the constitution of the interagency advisory committee on school bus services;

(3) the cost of school bus fares;

(4) the implication of traffic configurations around pick up and drop off points for school buses; and

(5) any other related matter.".

As I said before lunch, Mr Speaker, this amendment allows the Urban Services Committee to have an inquiry into the issue of ACTION bus services. I did speak with Mr Hargreaves during the break and Mr Hargreaves indicated, and I agree with him, that he would like to see ACTION continue their inquiry in conjunction with this one. I look forward to members supporting this amendment to Mr Hargreaves's motion.

MR HARGREAVES (3.32): I would like to speak very briefly in support of Mr Osborne's amendment. The only caution I would put on it, also - to reiterate what he has just said - is that ACTION actually get on with it. I am very pleased to hear that ACTION have actually started their review. But it is not just an ACTION review. The point I am trying to make here is that there are other players in this sort of thing and I would like to see these other players involved in that review.

I think it is vital that it go to the Standing Committee on Urban Services, because, frankly, I do not trust an internal review of this nature. This is too significant an issue to be just put under the table. Mr Hird is quite right in saying that I had a briefing on the ACTION review, but I did not have a full briefing. I had a good briefing, a very good briefing. I congratulate Mr Thurston on what he told me. What he did tell me was that ACTION were going to do a splendid job of reviewing the system. They are going to go right back and count all the eyes, divide by two, work out how many seats we need, and away we go - perfect stuff. What he did not say, however, was what the implications would be for the traffic configurations and what role the traffic and roads people would play in it, because, quite frankly, it is beyond Mr Thurston's power to involve them by insistence.

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