Page 1480 - Week 04 - Thursday, 25 March 2010

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The business people responded positively to the draft concept for the precinct. The major concern continues to be the effect that any sale of land would have on the availability of car parking spaces and hence the centre’s commercial viability.

I have requested that the sale of the sites be deferred for the duration of 2010 while the LDA continue to work with the Hawker business people and the wider community to facilitate an outcome that will benefit the community and also enhance the centre’s continuing commercial viability.

Overwhelmingly traders were keen to ensure that no new development will take place on either blocks 8 or 10 until the proposed new parking and traffic arrangements are in place. This includes new car parking with access to Belconnen Way, reconfiguring the eastern car park, additional parking in Hawker Place and a re-routing of traffic movements around the centre.

LDA will further refine the concept plan and visit individual businesses to explain the update. Community drop-in information sessions will then be held in the coming months.

Crimes (Sentence Administration) Amendment Bill 2010

Mr Corbell, pursuant to notice, presented the bill, its explanatory statement and a Human Rights Act compatibility statement.

Title read by Clerk.

MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water, Minister for Energy and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (10.02): I move:

That this bill be agreed to in principle.

I am pleased to present to the Assembly today the Crimes (Sentence Administration) Amendment Bill, which introduces a new enforcement scheme for court-imposed fines. This new scheme will only apply to fines handed down by the Magistrates Court or Supreme Court as a result of prosecution for an offence. The new scheme will not apply to infringement notices or other such “on-the-spot” fines.

Currently, the options available to enforce court-imposed fines under the current scheme are quite limited, with the main deterrent on default of a fine being imprisonment. This bill introduces a number of enforcement options that can be pursued before imprisonment is considered.

This bill will have two major benefits. Firstly, it will strengthen the territory’s ability to recover outstanding court-imposed fines. Secondly, people who experience trouble in paying fines will be provided with flexible options to discharge their debt.

The new options available to assist in the recovery of court-imposed fines include: drivers licence and vehicle registration suspension; negative reporting to credit providers; income assessments; earnings redirection orders; financial institution


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