Page 3118 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 10 September 1991
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Particularly as the American Government offered to do something about it and the Commonwealth Government refused, I do not think we should be left to clean up the mess. I would be very happy to see the Commonwealth pay for the lot. Mrs Kelly, Mr Langmore, Margaret Reid and Senator McMullan can all unveil a plaque out there and it will not upset me one little bit, just as long as it does not cost the people of Canberra, the taxpayers of the ACT, any money.
Something has to be done about it. It is sad to see the vandalism, but by the time we got self-government the vandalism was well and truly done. We could not have done anything about it. We could not have set up anything out there to stop it happening. The worst was done, and it continued because to put somebody out there would have cost us more money than it was worth.
I thank my Assembly colleagues who have served on this committee, as well as all the people who did a lot of work on it. It was a difficult task because people felt that it was a pity to see a piece of history like this being destroyed, but "must do" is a very good master.
MR PROWSE (9.48): I am speaking on this issue once again to put before members - and I know that they have had this request put to them before - a request by the Buddhist Society to look at the Honeysuckle Creek facility. The vandalism out there is extreme, as you are all aware. I have only recently gone out there again, and the vandalism has been progressing monthly. It amazes me, as Mr Duby stated, that people take pleasure in vandalising walls, windows, and so on. Anything that could be broken has been.
The situation is that the Buddhists have $200,000 to put towards refurbishment of the internals of that major building. Obviously, all the surrounding garages, transformers, PCBs and other equipment in the area would have to be removed, as would the internal damage to the building. If the shell could be left, those people believe that they could bring that building back into community use.
Mrs Grassby suggested that developers were not interested in the area because of the costs involved. The major cost, I would put to you, is in laying on the services to the area - electricity, water and sewerage. The Buddhists have indicated that they would be quite happy to survive without any of those services being provided. They would provide access to the facility as a recreation and meditation centre for members of the public.
I believe that it would be well worth our while to look at the main building to see whether it can be put to some purpose. It really is the final act of vandalism to knock down such a substantial building. That building, if left
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