Page 1423 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 26 September 1989
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examine the new capital works program consisting of 138 items, representing a total estimated cost of nearly $120m. It is obvious that in the few weeks available the committee was unable to examine each of these items in detail, nor was the committee able to examine the capital works program of the ACT Electricity and Water authority or the Housing Trust, as these two agencies are not included as part of the budget. This means that $50m worth of works have not been examined by this committee.
There were a number of items which the committee examined in more detail than others. These were selected not so much as case studies but rather as items which the committee considered may indicate an inappropriate allocation of funds or works programs which might be more properly financed by the Commonwealth than the Territory. The committee identified many items where there was insufficient information to enable it to make a reasonable assessment of the works. If more time had been available, the committee would have obtained this information before it released its report. We could not do this.
Accordingly, we have requested that additional information be provided when the budget is presented. Mr Speaker, I noted a lack of detailed information in the Chief Minister's speech, but the committee hopes to find that detail in the accompanying documentation.
One such item on which further detail was required was the child-care facility in the Parliamentary Triangle. The committee did not question the need for a child-care facility close to that location. However, it was concerned that this item is financed out of ACT revenue, and while the facility will serve ACT residents it is likely that persons using the facility will be exclusively Commonwealth employees.
Another such item was the situation of the Yarralumla Primary School. The Department of Education undertook to provide extra information in relation to the level of proposed funding at that school. It appears that, in a bulk allocation of $754,000, a sum of $50,000 to $100,000 will be spent at Yarralumla Primary School in the forthcoming financial year. As well, an amount of some $60,000 is also scheduled for maintenance work at Yarralumla Primary. The committee was advised in relation to the possible closure of St Peter Chanel's school at Yarralumla that Yarralumla Primary School had no capacity for additional enrolment in the building it uses.
The committee was advised that the former infants wing had a variety of private departmental tenants who could be relocated in the event that additional space was required. If this was impractical, transportables could be placed in the school at least in the short term. The committee notes that the sum of $538,000 is allocated in bulk for transportable movements throughout the system for the current financial year. The committee is unable to
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