Page 1330 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 24 March 2010
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also interesting to note that the Queensland system of issuing warnings that relate to the change of the intensity of a cyclone does not cause confusion and does not cause panic.
I think the question that Mr Corbell needs to answer, and which he did not answer on 16 September last year, is: what responsibility exists to require warnings to be issued? As far as I can tell, the matter is not dealt with in the national framework. To that extent, it remains unresolved. I want to suggest to the minister that he carefully consider the proposals in my bill and how these relate to any existing legislation in the ACT and how any other national framework and other protocols and agreements relate to my proposal. He is not the sole repository of wisdom on this important matter. I will look forward to the opportunity of collaborating and making sure that the ACT has the best possible approach to preparing and making bushfire warnings.
The critical matter that we face as a community in relation to bushfire warnings is to ensure that the warnings shall be issued when conditions require such warnings. In recent days, doubts have been raised about the proper role of the government in relation to the issuing of warnings and more generally in respect of the broader issue of governments’ duty of care in situations of bushfire emergencies. If there is any doubt about the issuing of warnings in the case of emergencies, including bushfires, my bill will remove those doubts, at least as far as bushfires are concerned.
To the extent that a debate within our community is required over such matters as duty of care in the issuing of warnings, that will be a significant and probably vigorous debate. I welcome the opportunity to contribute to that debate. In the meantime, the imperative is to ensure that warnings are issued when they are required. We must legislate to mandate the preparation and the issuing of warnings of bushfire emergencies. I commend my bill to the parliament.
Debate (on motion by Mr Corbell) adjourned to the next sitting.
Infrastructure Canberra Bill 2010
Mr Seselja, pursuant to notice, presented the bill.
Title read by Clerk.
MR SESELJA (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (10.26): I move:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
Before the last election I identified the need for an infrastructure overhaul in the ACT and promised to develop the infrastructure Canberra plan to address this major flaw in the ACT’s planning processes and infrastructure needs.
Last year I released an exposure draft of the Infrastructure Canberra Bill. This draft had already been through an extended development and consultation process to put the best possible package to industry stakeholders and the community. This year I am very pleased to introduce to this Assembly the Infrastructure Canberra Bill.
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