Page 1925 - Week 07 - Thursday, 20 August 1992
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
I can advise that I have written recently to the Federal Government about Acton Peninsula.
The same Federal Government is in charge of this National Capital Planning Authority. She continued:
We must bear in mind that the peninsula is designated land and that anything that my Government might wish to do with it does need to be agreed to by the Commonwealth. Members will be aware also that my Government has given a number of commitments in regard to Acton Peninsula, in particular to the provision of a range of health facilities on Acton Peninsula ... Members may also be aware of the general view by the National Capital Planning Authority about some redevelopment, some housing, that they believe might be appropriate on Acton Peninsula.
This is the important part, Madam Speaker:
I have indeed had informal discussions with the NCPA on that matter.
I wonder now whether those informal discussions were part of what led to this charrette. On 25 June, still on the same issue, Mr Berry responded to another question from Ms Szuty. He said:
The Government made its decision about the facilities that were to be provided on the Acton site in the light of much public discussion about the closure of the old hospital and argument for various facilities to be provided on the site ... We are considering that in the budget context ...
Here is another little softening, perhaps. I am raising these possible issues so that the Minister can clarify that there is no softening and that they are just as determined as they were when he answered so directly that question from Ms Szuty in April. Mr Berry said:
I can say that some preliminary planning resulted in a draft report being prepared, and further consideration of that report is ongoing.
Madam Speaker, we have to assume from this that the NCPA has a very different view of what should be done on the Acton Peninsula. The questions for people in Canberra are: Who knows? Who should decide? How should we view these ground rules given to students from universities all over Australia? We have the opportunity to do something worthwhile with the Acton Peninsula and to ensure that those health facilities that we have talked about remain there. I make my position very clear as far as the hospice goes. That includes the hospice. I think we should act on it.
MS SZUTY (3.38): Madam Speaker, I have raised the issue of the future of Acton Peninsula in a question without notice this year, and I rise again to state that the people of Canberra have a stake in the future of this piece of land, despite its designated area status as national land. As Mr Moore has said, fellow members, we have heard that the National Capital Planning Authority and the Territory
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .