Page 3248 - Week 10 - Thursday, 25 August 2005

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .


Mr Corbell: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: Mrs Dunne is debating the substance of the motion and advocating it in this place, and it is not consistent.

MR SPEAKER: No, I don’t think so. I think she was going to—mind you, I could tell that she was tempted to stray, but she won’t respond to that temptation; otherwise she will be ordered to sit down, again.

MRS DUNNE: But, Mr Speaker, members on the other side are tempted to stray from the relevance of their questions and answers on all occasions.

MR SPEAKER: Never mind that; just get on with the response.

MRS DUNNE: As I was saying, this amendment—and it is in line with Mr Seselja’s question—adds two words “deciding to”. It would make it perfectly clear that, before deciding to make any closure, the government must undertake consultation, which is what people thought the act currently means, but the current experience at Ginninderra district high school has cast doubt on that.

Stromlo reconstruction

MRS BURKE: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, when will the government commence reconstruction at the Stromlo settlement, given that plans were supposed to be released in early August 2005?

MR STANHOPE: Unfortunately, I do not have a note on the exact timing but let me assure members that planning for both Stromlo and Uriarra is very well advanced. I understand that tenders have been sought and that there is a shortlist process in place in relation to the second round of tenders for both Uriarra and Stromlo. Most of the planning work has been done. Both the Land Development Agency and ACTPLA are heavily involved in both the delivery of and planning for the replacement rural villages for Stromlo and Uriarra.

There has been a range of quite complex issues in both a planning and development sense. In relation to Stromlo in particular there were some issues concerning the border of the Stromlo village vis-a-vis its impact on some commonwealth land. The ACT government has been in negotiations with the commonwealth in relation to that. It is my understanding that the issues concerning the border of the village have been resolved or are about to be resolved. I am happy to provide a detailed written brief for Mrs Burke and other members of the Assembly on progress on the delivery of reconstruction in both Stromlo and Uriarra, but let me assure members that work is proceeding extremely well; it is being driven at this stage primarily by the Land Development Agency, which has frontline responsibility for land development within the ACT. ACTPLA of course are involved in the planning sense, as is the major projects unit within the Chief Minister’s Department. I cannot give specifics or dates but I will be happy to do that in writing later, along with all other information currently available.

MRS BURKE: Mr Speaker, I have a supplementary question that may also need to be taken on notice. Chief Minister, why has the government been stalling on delivering the


Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .