Page 180 - Week 02 - Thursday, 25 May 1989
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those community groups to have more certainty in their funding, to have some reliability introduced into their continued operation, then this Government will certainly be undertaking that.
MR COLLAERY: I ask a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. May I ask the Chief Minister to indicate whether her party will stand by its election pledge to see at least triennial funding for community groups?
MS FOLLETT: Indeed, we will be looking at that in the budget context, but that is certainly the intention of the Government.
MINISTER'S OFFICE
MRS NOLAN: I draw the Deputy Chief Minister's attention to an article in the Tuggeranong "Valley View" on 15 May, which stated:
The ACT's new Minister for Economic Development, Paul Whalan, will set up an office in the Tuggeranong Town Centre in July. Mr Whalan is currently in negotiation for the lease of two floors in the new building opposite the Hyperdome.
Given our inadequate office accommodation at 1 Constitution Avenue, I am wondering how Mr Whalan can have two floors for an electorate office.
Mr Kaine: That is a good question, Paul.
MR WHALAN: And you will get an equally good answer. I thank Mrs Nolan for the question. The article was never intended to give the impression there was going to be any electorate office there at all. Part of the Government's policy is to decentralise the work force as much as possible, consistent with the planning principles under which Canberra has been developed. It is certainly the intention of this Government to pursue that particular policy.
In pursuing that policy we will seek to achieve a number of objectives. Among those objectives are service to the community, thus making available to the community on a decentralised basis the services and facilities which are provided by the various government departments, but also to put in place economy measures.
It is a fact that as a result of the development of the town centres there is a lower level of demand for office accommodation in these areas than there is in the central city. As a result there are quite significantly lower rents available in areas such as Tuggeranong. Substantial savings can be achieved through the location of offices in areas such as Tuggeranong.
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