Page 543 - Week 02 - Thursday, 21 February 1991
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Firstly, Mr Speaker, I would like to comment on the inquiry process itself. In October last year, after having taken on this particular reference, which was self-referred, the committee called for written submissions through a series of newspaper advertisements. A total of 51 written submissions were received and considered by the committee. One of those submissions, in fact, came at the time when we were in the final phase of considering our report.
I think one of the points that have to be made in relation to the committee was that the committee decided that there would be no public hearings on this particular matter. It was agreed, however, on 2 January, on a motion by a member of the committee, that we seek comment from representatives of the Floriade and Canberra Festival, to ascertain their views on having available a small, temporary structure to advertise their activities, either on the current site or near the visitor information centre. Those meetings, in fact, took place the next day.
I note that in the additional comments there could be a suggestion that there was some problem with not having public hearings, but the only reference to the possible need for public hearings was provided in the minutes of 19 November, when the committee agreed to hold a decision on the need for public hearings until all submissions had been received. In fact, it really was not an issue, because it was quite clear that there were considerable comments one way or the other in the written submissions. It was only towards the end, when we wanted to seek some clarification in relation to the possible use of a temporary structure, that we sought those informal briefings and discussions with the festival committee and representatives from the Floriade.
The history of the billboard, Mr Speaker, goes back to 1983, when the Canberra Festival Incorporated applied to what was then the Commonwealth Government to install a mural - which is now commonly called a billboard - on City Hill as a temporary structure. Very strict guidelines were drawn up for the structure; but, unfortunately, it appears that progressively over the years the guidelines have not been applied strictly. I must confess that it is very difficult, because artistic development is a very subjective thing, and what is one person's meat is another person's poison, so to speak, particularly in the art area. A lot of people say about art, "I know what I like", and some people have often indicated to me that they do not like what they see on the billboard.
In 1988 the temporary structure was replaced by a more permanent fixture to cater for the bicentenary. Over the year, I understand there were a couple of temporary ones at the same time, but the basic structure at the time was the bicentennial logo that was put up on that location. Unfortunately, because of the original temporary nature of this structure, no planning approval was sought, or given, at the time. The structure that eventually went up in 1988 was proposed as a temporary structure that could be removed; but it seems that the system of bolting it into the ground, as the Canberra Festival Incorporated advised us, was not followed, and it was eventually firmly concreted into the ground.
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