Page 2794 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 23 June 2009
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Insufficient time was available to answer these questions in detail. The opposition has agreed to a full briefing on the Urban Forest Renewal Program by the Expert Reference Group in coming months.
I have been waiting for that briefing for some time, which is why I put the questions on the notice paper. I have just basically been told to wait. It is not as though these were extraordinarily difficult questions. They relate to the current policy and the policy which has been put out there. I will give you a couple of examples. I asked if the 12-member expert panel appointed in December 2008 would be issuing a report on the tree management program. I presumed that this would be part of the terms of reference and it would be difficult for the government to pass on this information to the public. I got no answer.
I asked why the government was proposing to engage in wholesale tree felling in our suburbs. Given this activity has already started, there must have been some consideration given to the matter and it should have been recorded somewhere. But I got no answer. I asked why this option of wholesale felling of trees was chosen over others. I would think, Mr Speaker, that any policy worth its salt would look at the alternatives and have some idea of what they were, but I got no answer. I can only assume that this government has not considered any of the seven elements of my question or indeed any other aspects of the urban tree renewal program. I can only assume that the government is making up policy. This is more policy on the run. It is not as though this was an inordinately difficult issue.
On many of the other questions I asked in relation to land management I got really quite fulsome and helpful answers. I compliment the minister and the officials for the level of detail, for instance, in relation to the wild dogs program, the feral pigs program and the pest plants program. Most of it was very comprehensive. I think that if the minister can do it—
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mrs Dunne! Stop the clock, please, clerks. Members, I understand it is the wish of the Assembly to finish at 10.30 this evening. I invite Mr Corbell to take the floor.
Debate (on motion by Mr Corbell) adjourned to the next sitting.
Adjournment
Motion by Mr Corbell proposed:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
Australian Historical Railway Society
MR COE (Ginninderra) (10.31): A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of visiting the Australian Railway Historical Society at Kingston. I was privileged to be given a tour of the ARHS museum and workshop by tour guide, Dr Howard Quinlan. The ARHS is a working museum and contains a variety of exhibits, including carriages, freight
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