Page 5873 - Week 18 - Wednesday, 11 December 1991
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MR KAINE: Yes, he is a planner. Of course, he will nickel-and-dime it to death if we give him half a chance, like he has done with almost everything else that has come forward in some constructive fashion in terms of the development of Canberra. Mr Duby alluded to the fact that Manuka, in terms of further development, the provision of parking and the retention of the amenity of the place - they are not mutually supportive; in fact, some of these propositions tend to work against each other - has been an issue for a long time.
One of the big problems down there has been the shortage of parking spaces. If you happen to drive round the place and try to find a parking space, you would know what people complain about. It is a complaint on the part of the people who have invested in business there because it is a constraint on their ability to make their business prosper, and it is a complaint on the part of the people who want to go there and do their shopping. It is a disincentive. They cannot find anywhere to park. So, there is a parking problem.
This proposal, first of all, is one to build up the business involvement in Manuka, a further investment. In today's financial climate somebody is prepared to make an additional investment in the place. Does the Rally knock that? I do not. They want to enhance the place, they want to turn it into a more prosperous little centre, and that is to be commended. As part of that, they are meeting an obligation to pick up some of the slack in parking.
If the Rally can show how that is bad for Manuka or for anybody, I will be fascinated to hear it. It is a good proposal. There are all sorts of red - - -
Mr Jensen: What if there is a better one?
MR KAINE: Oh yes, you will always come up with something better. I suppose you are going to talk about the site opposite Woolworths. You show me the person with $16m to put the development down opposite Woolworths and I will listen to you, Mr Jensen. There is nobody on the horizon with that sort of money. If they are, where are they? That proposal has been on the books for years too and there has been nobody prepared to come forward and invest the money. So, that is a red herring. If somebody comes along with a proposal to redevelop that part of Manuka I will be delighted. But it is not instead of this one; it is in addition to this one.
Of course, Mr Jensen does not live near Manuka. He does not care about Manuka. He does not care about the people who have investments in business there. He does not care about the people who want to shop there. He does not care about the people halfway up into Forrest who have cars parked outside their houses because there is not enough
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