Page 1307 - Week 05 - Thursday, 26 April 1990
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Heritage and Environment Committee. Matters raised in the public comment process will be referred back to the Government for consideration.
The Government's response to the other recommendations of the Assembly committee are as follows: concerning recommendation 6, it is proposed to accept the committee's recommendation that there be an independent assessment of the aquarium operations two months after operations commence, and I will advise the Assembly on the results of this assessment at the appropriate time; concerning recommendation 7, the review of animal welfare in the ACT which commenced in 1988 is nearing completion. It has involved extensive community consultation. It is expected that a finalised ACT policy on animal welfare will be available later this year. This will provide the detailed policies on which new animal welfare legislation will be based.
I present the following reports to the Assembly.
National Aquarium -
Government response to the Standing Committee on Conservation, Heritage and Environment Inquiry into the National Aquarium.
Report on -
An assessment of possible impacts on the National Aquarium site of the proposed display of waterbirds and other animals, by F.R. Gnauck in association with Documentation Pty. Ltd, dated 4 April 1990.
Possible impact of the freshwater display organisms, their pests and their diseases due to escape or accidental loss, dated 31 March 1990.
MS FOLLETT (Leader of the Opposition) (11.13): Mr Speaker, I find Mr Duby's response to this report on behalf of the Government totally inadequate. In fact, I find it amazing that the Government has now proceeded to skate over the very basis for this report having been done at all. I am sure that no member here will ever forget the disgraceful series of innuendos and allegations put forward by members of the current Government, by Mr Collaery in particular. They were put forward in relation to my colleague Mr Whalan and concerned an alleged case of corruption involving the proponent of the aquarium proposal, Mr Da Deppo. For the members who may have conveniently forgotten that, I have here the Canberra Times report of 7 July 1989, the headline of which is "$100,000 deal denied". It relates to Mr Collaery's comments in relation to the propriety of Mr Whalan in connection with the development of the aquarium.
Government members have apparently conveniently forgotten all about that, although there is a quotation in this report from Mr Collaery himself which says "it is in the public interest that allegations of this nature, once made, should be pursued".
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