Page 2830 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 21 October 1992
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connection into the house not be cross-connected with the ACTEW mains supply water. That is essentially because we have quite high water pressures in Canberra and to cross-connect could result in unpleasant spouting coming out the top of the rainwater tank as the mains pressure water surges back through.
In essence, Mr Westende, the Government is mindful of the concerns you have expressed - the community view that conservation is sensible - and we are taking steps to ensure that it is easier for those Canberrans who wish to take advantage of our high quality and high quantity rainwater to install a tank.
Casino Premium
MS SZUTY: Madam Speaker, my question without notice is to the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister has recently received a cheque for $19m from the operators of the Canberra casino. Can the Chief Minister inform the Assembly of the timeframe the Government is considering for the allocation of money from this premium, and what mechanisms will be used for determining which projects are eligible to receive funds?
MS FOLLETT: I thank Ms Szuty for the question and I am very pleased to respond to it. The Government has received the $19m premium from the casino developers. In keeping with long held policy, that premium will be applied to community facilities in the ACT, specifically cultural and heritage facilities. The timetable the Government has is to announce the decision on how the money will be spent by 1 December of this year. As far as I am aware, that timetable is still current and will be adhered to. In putting proposals to the Government on what might be suitable projects to apply that $19m to, I am looking to my colleague Mr Wood, the Minister for the Arts, who is responsible for cultural and heritage matters and who is facilitating a great deal of the work.
If I could just quickly run through the process, in January of this year - I think on 30 January - I did notify in a Special Gazette the arrangements for the provision of facilities to be funded from that $19m casino premium. That Gazette also set out the 1 December date for the final decision. The consultation has been ongoing since that time, I think, if not before that time. Members will remember that a select committee of the last Assembly undertook a very comprehensive review of cultural facilities in the ACT and formed some quite strong views on where the gaps were and what was still required. In addition, Mr Wood has had some comment from the ACT Cultural Council and is seeking further comment from them, I believe. The Cultural Council is a large advisory body which is very representative of the cultural and heritage communities in the ACT and, I think, is very well placed to provide a pretty comprehensive view of how that money might best be spent. There have also been consultations with representatives of the Aboriginal community in the ACT.
I hope that that has been helpful to Ms Szuty. I would be more than happy to receive, by way of letter or suggestion in any form, people's views on how that money should be applied, but bearing in mind that the Government does have a stated policy and a commitment to spend the money on cultural and heritage facilities.
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