Page 1638 - Week 06 - Thursday, 7 June 2007
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
The work on the study is ongoing. It is anticipated that it will not be finalised for another two years. The scientific results which will result from this extended exercise will not be finally published until then. It is a very interesting project. Much work has been done, recognised explicitly by the commonwealth through funding of Environment ACT. The commonwealth has acknowledged the quality and the nature of the work as leading Australia in relation to studies of groundwater.
Mr Stefaniak: Are you thinking of any interim results?
MR STANHOPE: Mr Mulcahy, it would be appropriate for you to arrange for a briefing on the work and on what initial indications are in relation to findings that are, at this stage, developing as a result of that.
Mr Stefaniak: I would like one too, Jon.
MR STANHOPE: Yes. The offer is certainly open to you, Mr Stefaniak. It is just that I was responding to a—
Mr Stefaniak: No. I think you said any members.
MR STANHOPE: Certainly, Mr Stefaniak, and particularly you as the relevant spokesperson. But Mr Mulcahy actually did raise it in his remarks.
I thank members for their contribution to the debate. It is important legislation. To conclude, I will just respond to suggestions offered by Mr Smyth in his remarks. It is misrepresenting the position put by Mr Barr in relation to the ACT government’s attitude to the maintenance of ovals, sporting fields and arenas within the ACT to suggest that the ACT government or Mr Barr has suggested that the ACT government will not be supporting or working with sport within the ACT to the greatest extent and capacity it can to maintain ovals and maintain sport. That was a direct verbal of Mr Barr, and it is not a position that Mr Barr has put.
Mr Barr has certainly acknowledged that, under level 4 restrictions, we will not have the capacity to use potable water for the purpose of irrigating a sports oval, but at no stage has the government made any decision, announcement or pronouncement that there will be no funding or support available to seek to maintain sporting ovals throughout Canberra.
Indeed, as members know, all agencies have been working hard with every sector of the ACT community that might potentially be affected by level 4 water restrictions. I have appointed an interdepartmental committee, chaired by Mr Mike Zissler, the Chief Executive of the Department of Territory and Municipal Services, explicitly to draw together agency work and consultation to develop an all-of-government position and to make recommendations directly to me—that are supported by Actew—on the steps and the measures that the ACT government may take.
It is to pre-empt the outcome of that consultation. We are in deep consultation with all sectors of business that would be affected by level 4 water restrictions, all sporting organisations that would be affected or impacted by water restrictions and other areas
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .