Page 625 - Week 02 - Thursday, 21 February 1991
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MR STEVENSON: I am sorry. I meant to make the point through you, Mr Speaker. Does the signage clearly explain in simple English the problem that there is? Other matters that have been presented to me include the reintroduction of lifesaving patrols. Has that been looked at as a possibility? It used to happen out there at one time. Is this one of the possibilities? What engineering possibilities - leaving signs aside - have been looked at?
Mr Duby: Don't you listen? I just gave all that information in a report to the Assembly.
MR STEVENSON: Did you discuss the lifesaving patrols?
Ms Follett: No, he did not.
MR STEVENSON: Well, why does he speak up on one point and ignore the others? You have to tackle the lot if you are going to tackle a few. A lot of people in Canberra are concerned. We have all been sent information concerning a survey of people who are speaking up on the matter. I do not know what the exact questions were or how it was done, but it showed that a majority of people were against the closure of the weir.
Once again, if there are valid arguments on this or any one of a thousand issues, why do not the people of Canberra have a chance to be convinced? Why does not the Alliance Government operate - - -
Mr Duby: Because we are not governing according to a popularity poll.
MR STEVENSON: Mr Duby says, "We are not governing by popularity poll". There is only one way you can translate that. That means that the members of the Alliance make up their minds and the majority of the members of the Canberra population can go and swim, but not there - elsewhere.
MR DUBY (Minister for Finance and Urban Services), by leave: Hopefully I can close this supposed debate. I am absolutely flabbergasted at the claims that have been made by members opposite. I think the statement that I made to the Assembly today quite categorically went through all the arguments from safety experts, police rescue experts, engineers and park management as well as the legal point of view as to why it is unacceptable in today's society for a facility such as the upper weir at Casuarina to remain in place.
I repeat that the removal of the upper weir will in no way impinge upon people's ability to swim at the site or to participate in water sports. I might also add that if anything it will improve the facility. Families with young children - children are the target group that seem to lose their lives there and who are involved in the many incidents that have occurred which do not receive
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