Page 4288 - Week 14 - Thursday, 24 October 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
get in there at 10.00 pm on a Friday night to set their gear up - and you do not have a 24-hour loading zone, it will be impossible to get a truck with band equipment anywhere near the venues in Civic because it is all parked out by people enjoying a Friday night at the theatre, or the movies, or one of the other venues. So, there is a legitimate purpose for 24-hour loading zones.
There is something of a review under way at the moment with loading zones and there is a bit of a crackdown on enforcement. We will see the extent to which they are needed in Civic. There is a legitimate purpose for them. I think that Mr Stevenson's crusade against 24-hour loading zones is perhaps a little misplaced.
Mr Deputy Speaker, on the issue of banning skateboards, which is something that the Government would not want to go as strongly on as other members, it is perhaps fair to mention that the New South Wales Government has placed a ban on the use of what are defined as "toy vehicles" in public areas between sunset and sunrise. A toy vehicle is defined as a vehicle that is commonly used for recreational purposes and that is powered by a human.
A slight problem with that, of course, is that it does not say that you have to be able to actually ride on the things. I suspect that it would cover pushing a dinky toy along a footpath after hours, so perhaps the law trying to crack down in these areas may be a little draconian and a little unworkable. If Assembly members feel strongly about this, there is always a private member's legislation option to try to clamp down on these things; but, as Mr Wood said, too much of a crackdown will just force the problem elsewhere.
MR JENSEN (4.02): Gus Petersilka, in his attempts to set up outdoor cafes, is a legend in this town, I suggest. In fact, a lot of that was done before I came to Canberra. When I came to Canberra it was very clear that Gus Petersilka had pushed out the frontiers of the stuffiness that some of the elements within the NCDC saw fit to inflict on the people of Canberra. I suggest that it was probably one of the reasons why some people who came to Canberra and some residents seemed to think that the city did not have a heart.
Gus Petersilka, to give him his credit, kept hard at the task of seeking to bring some life into this city and Gus' Cafe - not now owned by Gus - of course, is a legendary meeting place in the city. To suggest that maybe Gus will go away and not push his idea to brighten up Garema Place is probably not doing credit to the gentleman in question. I am sure Gus will keep pushing regardless.
When I was in government there was a proposal brought to my colleague Mr Collaery and me in relation to the use of the existing facilities in Garema Place on a temporary basis. I am referring to the existing station there, the old toilets and the chess pit.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .