Page 620 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 21 March 1990
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In the ACT we would all agree that a coordinated ACT, New South Wales, Victorian and Commonwealth environmental impact study would be preferable to four independent assessments. Indeed, the intergovernmental group has been charged with investigating and organising a coordinated approach. At a recent heads of agency meeting in Sydney, preparation of draft EIS guidelines was agreed to.
As I have already said, the Government supports the need to seek a coordinated national approach to this project, in the interests of efficiency and consistency. A coordinated approach by the Commonwealth and State governments to the issue of land purchase and resumption is needed - the important factor that Mr Moore raised today. One of the things that this group could perhaps look at would be a funding package that could be worked out whereby the designated transport corridor is ultimately owned by the governments involved and leased back to the transport operators. In this way, the governments could, for example, maintain greater control over the environmental and other important aspects of the route. That is one option that is available.
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate the potential importance of this project for the ACT. The original ideas came from Dr Paul Wild and others at the CSIRO, and the headquarters of the VFT project team is in Canberra. If the VFT project goes ahead, it will be likely that this important industry will be retained in Canberra providing a significant element in our community and in the finances of the Territory.
MR BERRY (12.05): It did not take long for Mr Jensen to forget his position on private members' business and the indication that the Government really did not want to interfere with the carriage of private members' business through this place. Immediately after his very emotional speech on the passage of private members' business, he does a complete turnaround and supports the Government's interference with this private member's business which was put up by the Leader of the Opposition.
Mr Collaery: On a point of order, Mr Speaker, this is irrelevant.
MR SPEAKER: Please remain relevant, Mr Berry.
MR BERRY: I am entirely relevant because this is about Mr Norman Jensen doing a complete turnaround. It is a bit of duplicity in which he will be found out. The Government will rue the day that it made that statement that it would not interfere. In fact, it did not take more than a couple of hours for it to do a complete turnaround.
Mr Kaine: On a point of order, Mr Speaker, I again draw attention to standing order 58. The speaker is obliged to be relevant and I do not quite know the relevance of his present comments.
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