Page 4367 - Week 15 - Tuesday, 19 November 1991
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concerned constituents have a chance to respond properly to the draft Territory Plan? Secondly, do you intend to let down the Assembly rugby side next year by not playing, so that we miss out on those other six points?
MR WOOD: To answer the second part of the question first, I did not let down the rugby side; by not playing I think I helped them considerably. Members may know that my heart is with another code. But the real reason I was not able to participate is that I was out of town.
As to the other question, Mr Moore did give me some notice - and I might say that quite a few community groups have given me notice. For example, I spoke to the Conservation Council this morning; it was the second meeting in recent times when they have asked that question. My colleagues have been receiving the same request from quite a range of people and groups in the community. We discussed it this morning at our party meeting and agreed that I should talk to the Territory Chief Planner about it. Bear in mind that he is a statutory officer, it is his draft plan, and he has the carriage of this. During the day I have discussed it with him; he has also had this same sort of input, and he has indicated that it would be sensible if the consultation stage were extended to 20 March. So, that is the date that people should take note of.
I should draw attention to the fact that the round of seminars and workshops on the draft plan will continue in the pre-Christmas period. Given the budgeting that has been allowed for the plan, it is not possible to run those seminars after Christmas, so we are still on the timetable to do that in the next few weeks. The community can still comment. Those groups that put a lot of work into this have time to prepare the very comprehensive and good reports and responses that I know they will make.
MR MOORE: I ask a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. Mr Wood raised the issue of budgeting with reference to the public consultation process. I ask: Were consultants employed for that consultation? In fact, was it the firm Turnbull Fox Phillips? What was the cost of that public consultation? Does the department you run not already have facilities that are used to facilitate such public consultation?
MR WOOD: Certainly, the department has those facilities; but it is also a department that needs to respond to peak periods. When variations go out - for example, the school variations the former Government put out - consultants are employed. There are times when there is a great amount of work to be done over a short period, and that could well be the case on this occasion. I said before that the Territory Chief Planner is a statutory officer. I do not have the information about those consultants, but I will get back to Mr Moore with that detail.
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