Page 13 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 12 February 1991
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there being insufficient courtrooms and to the locations being spread over a number of courts, so it makes the court operation very difficult. I am sure you, Mr Connolly, would be aware of that.
In October 1990 the Commonwealth Government released $20,000 from our restructuring fund to investigate the available alternatives for the consolidation of the ACT Magistrates Court function and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Since then we have widened that investigation as to where they might be located in the ACT to include the ACT Supreme Court and all other ACT courts and tribunals, and perhaps also the Federal Court. As far as I am concerned, Mr Speaker, there are three possibilities. We could provide a new complex in the vicinity of the existing law courts to accommodate the Magistrates Court and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal; we could provide a purpose built complex for the entire ACT court system; or we could provide a purpose built court complex which would include the entire ACT court system together with some Commonwealth courts.
Early estimates are that the cost could run as high as $25m. Quite clearly, that is something that would have to be accommodated in our works program. I do not think it is the sort of project that would be undertaken by private enterprise, so it has to be funded out of the Government's capital works program. We have established a task force of the relevant government authorities which will recommend to the Government whether the project is feasible and just where we should go.
Further than that, I think I should make it clear that, despite the beat-up in the media, there is no competition between a court precinct on the one hand and the Civic Square redevelopment on the other. The Civic Square redevelopment is already on the books. It is a privately funded project, and it is in no way in competition with the legal precinct. If and when that gets the nod as a government project - and I think that the Government is approaching this matter reasonably and responsibly - I am sure that when we come up with a solution the Opposition will have a great deal to say about whether the course of action that we have decided upon is a reasonable one.
South Curtin Primary School - Refurbishment
MRS GRASSBY: My question is to Mr Humphries. What, in detail, are the improvement facilities at South Curtin Primary School which have been promised?
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I think Mrs Grassby asked me what improvements at South Curtin school have been promised.
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