Page 1011 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 28 March 1990
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MR KAINE: The kinds of community facilities that the Government contemplates that site might be used for, include, first of all, a hospital facility of some kind - a community-style hospital probably describes it fairly accurately. Apart from that, our concept at the moment - and let us be clear that no redevelopment proposal has yet been put forward, although we will be considering a range of options - simply implies opening up that peninsula for access by the public with, perhaps, a promenade around the waterfront. That is the kind of facility we envisage - genuine community facilities which will open up the area to the public for public use. There is no intention to allow or even to plan for any other development - and certainly not a casino.
I think it has to be borne in mind, Mr Speaker, that the land in question happens to be national land. It is also designated for planning purposes under the control of the National Capital Planning Authority. So, even if this Government or any future government ever had any fancy notions of developing that peninsula in some other way, there are a lot of hurdles that would have to be jumped first. In our present planning there is no such intention; we have never contemplated a casino for that site. There is only one casino currently in view and that is the one that is provided for in section 19. We certainly do not envisage any commercial development of the Acton Peninsula.
Southwells Crossing Bridge
MR STEFANIAK: My question is to the Minister for Finance and Urban Services. Is the Minister aware that the wooden bridge over the Molonglo River at Southwells Crossing is in a bad state of repair and a danger to people using it? If so, what is being done about it?
MR DUBY: I thank Mr Stefaniak for the question. The answer is that I am aware of the bad state of repair of the bridge over the Molonglo at Southwells Crossing. As it stands right now, that bridge constitutes a safety hazard and it will be removed by the forests section. As a matter of fact, Mr Speaker, design work for the new bridge should be complete by the end of this week. Tenders will be called by the end of April and it is envisaged that a contract will be awarded by the end of May. A conservative estimate of the completion date for that bridge is early September. Hopefully, it will be completed earlier but, of course, that is dependent on the river level, the weather and various factors like that. It is envisaged that the new bridge will be constructed from precast concrete sections. There will be no crossing at that point for two or three months until the new bridge is in place.
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