Page 749 - Week 02 - Thursday, 25 February 2010

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MR SPEAKER: For your information, Mr Hargreaves, the quota is: the opposition, 55 per cent; the crossbench, 27 per cent; and the government, 18 per cent. The current statistics are: the opposition, 55 per cent; the crossbench, 26 per cent; and the government, 19 per cent. So you are actually ahead of your quota.

Mr Hargreaves: On the point of order, Mr Speaker: how can you measure two members of the government backbench against five or six members—I am sorry, Alastair, I have forgotten you—of them when that is clearly not a reasonable representation?

MR SPEAKER: Mr Hargreaves, if you would like to take this matter up in the administration and procedure committee, I think that would be the appropriate forum.

Environment—Jerrabomberra wetlands

MS LE COUTEUR: My question is to the Minister for Territory and Municipal Services and is in regard to the management of the Jerrabomberra wetlands. Minister, can you provide an update of plans for the wetlands, including the status of the Jerrabomberra wetlands management plan, and any recommendations that have come out of roundtable meetings held with stakeholders to discuss the wetlands?

MR STANHOPE: I thank Ms Le Couteur for her question. I am able to advise Ms Le Couteur that the draft master plan for the Jerrabomberra wetlands is going through a final edit before being presented to me. My plan, when it is presented, is, of course, to forward it—I am not sure which committee it is—for potential inquiry and response by the Assembly.

I have an expectation that the draft master plan will be provided to me, hopefully, within the next week or so. That is the stage that it has reached. But, as I say, it is undergoing essentially a final edit. I do expect that I will be receiving it in the very near future—hopefully, as I say, perhaps within the next week.

I have engaged with the full range of stakeholders that have expressed interest in the Jerrabomberra wetlands within the ACT. I have held two roundtables now, which were very well attended and very productive on the issue and on the future thinking and planning for the Jerrabomberra wetlands. The meetings were attended, for instance—and I am going somewhat from memory here—by representatives of the Natural Resource Management Advisory Committee, the Flora and Fauna Committee, the Canberra Ornithological Group, representatives of Parks, Conservation and Lands, representatives of the Limestone Group, academics from the ANU and officers from other departments, most particularly the LDA, ACTPLA and the Chief Minister’s Department.

A whole raft of issues have been discussed in relation most particularly to potential impacts of issues in relation to the development of East Lake and how we can best manage that, particularly in relation to the interface, and issues in relation to plans which Actew have forwarded for the relocation of the electricity substation. Those issues have been raised and discussed. There are also ongoing discussions with that


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