Page 6021 - Week 18 - Thursday, 12 December 1991
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Tuggeranong Swimming Centre
MR STEFANIAK: My question of the Minister for Sport is: Given that the Government is honouring an Alliance Government pledge to build a swimming pool in Tuggeranong, will that swimming pool, when completed, be able to host international standard swimming meets?
MR BERRY: Mr Speaker, I think I have fully answered this question.
North Building - Proposed Food Outlet
MR DUBY: Mr Speaker, I am not too sure whom I should address this question to, but I think I will start with Mr Wood. I refer to an advertisement in today's newspaper calling for expressions of interest in a food operations site on the ground floor of the North Building, in Civic. It calls for expressions from people who are interested in establishing a business in that area. The ad actually says:
Opportunity to establish new outlet in the revitalised Civic Square area.
My question is: Firstly, what revitalisation has occurred in the Civic Square area and, secondly, what portion of the ground floor of North Building will be used as a food operations site? I believe that Mr Connolly is going to rise to the occasion.
MR CONNOLLY: The future of North Building, of course, is a matter for Asset Management Services within the Department of Urban Services, which is why I am taking the question. Following the failure of the original casino project, the decision to vacate that building had to be revisited. The Government considered a range of options. We looked very long and hard at the possibility of using that building for cultural facilities. We engaged a consultant. I believe that it was L.J. Hooker Pty Ltd, well-known property developers and consultants. They provided us with a report on the viability of using that building for cultural purposes - for commercial cultural purposes, I should stress.
The outcome of that was that it was unlikely that there would be any interest in that building at commercial rates. There would obviously be interest in it for free, but at the moment the ACT Government is paying considerable dollars - as Mr Duby would know, as the former Minister - in rent for commercial buildings around town and we own this large empty building. The Government has decided that we will redevelop it for a range of ACT Government purposes which will revitalise the area in so far as it brings a
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