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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 9 Hansard (1 September) . . Page.. 2718 ..


Mr Berry: No, he did not hear me, Mr Speaker. I asked him why he bashes them up and his other colleagues do not.

MR STEFANIAK: Will you shut up and listen, Mr Berry? You might learn something.

Mr Berry: Why do you bash them up?

MR SPEAKER: Sit down, Mr Berry. Mr Stefaniak is answering the question.

MR STEFANIAK: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Our bursars are on a little under $24 an hour, compared with, for example, the Catholic system here where they get a little under $19 an hour, which is the same as in New South Wales. They do a good job, but their job has changed and that is why - - -

Mr Berry: Why are you bashing them?

MR STEFANIAK: Mr Berry, we are not. We are looking at work value. From talking to bursars myself, I can see that there are instances where, for example, there is considerable strength for the argument that there should be a reclassification, which is something that the department has offered. The department has made four offers now, Mr Berry, four very good offers indeed. Far from bashing bursars, I think we are now bending over backwards to be as fair as we can. I reiterate that we greatly value the job they do in our system. So, you are talking nonsense.

Canberra Racecourse - Winery Development

MR CORBELL: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, what contractual arrangements has the ACT entered into with BRL Hardy for the winery development at the Canberra Racecourse, and has there been any assistance provided to BRL Hardy through any government business incentive program?

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, yes, there is a government business incentive package that we have announced and have spoken about regularly in this place. I seem to remember that it included some land and some payroll tax, which would be the normal approach for something like that. As we know, BRL Hardy, in the very near future - possibly later this month or next month - will start to build their Northbourne Avenue facility. They will be spending some $10m in the ACT over the next 18 months or so.

Mr Moore: Jobs

MS CARNELL

: That is absolutely right. That will include starting to plant their first lot of grapes out near Mr Berry, I think, in the Holt part of the world, if they have not started that already. The construction of the winery, as I said, will start in the next month or so. I understand that the DA has been lodged, Mr Speaker, so everything is chugging along very well. BRL Hardy is a major employer, Mr Speaker. Apart from making the wine, this involves jobs in a whole range of different areas, such as the tending of the grapes and marketing. As well as that, of course, the BRL Hardy proposal


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