Page 1481 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 26 September 1989
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I would like to direct a question to the Deputy Chief Minister in connection with the Bruce development. I understand that the Government intends to make a contribution of some $2.8m and I could find no reference to this matter in the budget papers when I went through them yesterday. Can the Deputy Chief Minister tell us where in the budget the provision of the $2.8m for this purpose is hidden?
My response is that because of the urgency of works to be undertaken in relation to the warm-up track, the Government agreed to the project being included in the 1988-89 construction program as a supplementary item so that the work could commence immediately.
The $2.8m referred to by Mr Kaine is in fact the cost of upgrading the warm-up track. It is not specifically identified but is part of the $155.6m construction total shown at appendix D (page 51) of the budget statement, and as a works in progress item along with other works in progress and new construction works proposed for 1989-90 and illustrated in appendix E separately.
Natural Gas
Mr Whalan: On 29 June 1989, Mr Collaery asked me the following questions:
Will the Government's demands of AGL also include an explanation from it as to why it pursued an extensive gas reticulation system throughout Canberra, arranging for the connections thereto by many elderly people in our community who were not aware that rebates were not offered? Will the Minister use his good offices to intervene to assist pensioners in obtaining a rebate that they all assumed they would get on their rates?
My response is that the question of pensioner rebates for energy costs is an issue which is primarily the responsibility of the Minister for Community Services and Health.
At the present time, the ACT Department of Community Services and Health is responsible for funding the administration and payment of partial rebates of electricity costs for pensioners holding approved Commonwealth benefit cards. It is also responsible for a similar partial rebate on electricity costs incurred for life support purposes.
There are no comparable rebates applying to costs of gas.
Pensioner rebates payable on electricity use amount to $31 for each of the two winter accounts and $9 for the remaining four bimonthly accounts, giving a maximum total annual rebate of $98.
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