Page 713 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 1 May 2007
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Leave granted.
MR SESELJA: Scrutiny report 40 contains the committee’s comments on five bills, 13 pieces of subordinate legislation and nine government responses. The report was circulated to members when the Assembly was not sitting. I commend the report to the Assembly.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you. Members, I have to advise that the speech clocks are not functioning. Whilst they are being repaired, the sandglass which you can see at the Clerk’s table will be turned at the four-minute mark to indicate a member’s remaining speech time so that you have a visual idea of what stage you are at.
Planning and Environment—Standing Committee
Report 24
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella) (11.42): I present the following report:
Planning and Environment—Standing Committee—Report 24—Review of draft management plan for urban open space and public access sportsgrounds in the Gungahlin region, dated 27 March 2007, together with a copy of the extracts of the relevant minutes of proceedings.
I move:
That the report be noted.
This report is the result of a short inquiry which began in December last year. In addition to relevant ministers, the committee would like to thank, in particular, Mr Hamish McNulty, Executive Director, Environment and Recreation Network, Department of Territory and Municipal Services, TAMS; and Ms Sue Marriage, Director, Sport and Recreation Services, TAMS. Both of these officials gave valuable time to ensure that the committee understood the issues raised in relation to irrigation systems, the availability of sportsgrounds and water-sensitive design.
On 20 March 2007 the committee held a public hearing with officials from TAMS where key issues were discussed. Mr McNulty advised the committee that TAMS is now responsible for all the maintenance of and booking for the use of all public sports fields which are not part of a school precinct or campus—that is, most of the sportsgrounds here in Canberra. The department of education is responsible for playing fields that are part of school campuses and are used as school playgrounds. These tend not to be irrigated for use as sports ovals except with manual watering systems. They are also not normally available for weekend and after-school use by sports clubs and other organisations unless there is a management agreement in place with the school which enables TAMS to use the ground as a community facility.
Mr McNulty noted that the irrigation system that TAMS currently uses is one of the most efficient watering systems available. At least two non-government schools and TAMS are investigating the suitability of a capillary irrigation sub-surface system, known as KISSS, for ovals. The committee was advised that KISSS has been
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