Page 3419 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 25 November 1992
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Interestingly, the results of the charette placed little emphasis on health facilities or their inherent need for a certain type of surroundings. The students were guided by the National Capital Planning Authority and Territory Planning Authority's glossy joint discussion paper, which paid scant regard to health facilities. The special needs of such facilities were not addressed by the charette entries. Only a few mentioned them, and most appeared to have the unstated view that health facilities could be fitted into one of the structures on the site.
I have said previously that I believe that the question of the future of Acton Peninsula could have been resolved much more positively and constructively. It is not too late for this to happen. Let the ACT Government outline fully to the Assembly today its plans for Acton Peninsula and let us give the National Capital Planning Authority the chance to take on the Government's views and truly consider proposals for the remainder of the area, including retaining it as open space, as my colleague, Mr Moore, has said. In this way, we maximise the proposals we already have for the future of Acton Peninsula and the community receives a clear message about future directions. We should be planning Acton Peninsula together. If this occurs, we will in turn maximise community support and interest in the outcome.
MR WOOD (Minister for Education and Training, Minister for the Arts and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning) (11.28): Madam Speaker, once again today Mr Moore has lectured us about vision - something we all have, although Mr Moore himself will concede that it is something he has not always had. We remember that famous cartoon in the Canberra Times two or three years ago, with some words attributed to Mr Moore, I think. Certainly, he was a member of the former Residents Rally, and the cartoon showed them sitting out in the moonlight and the caption was, "We don't necessarily have a vision but we will recognise it when we see it". I raise this lightly. I know that Mr Moore is very serious, and he will continue to be serious when shortly we come to consider the Territory Plan and a whole range of futures for the ACT in a number of areas which the Government pursues and which I, as Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning and other things, also pursue. Mr Moore, vision is not something that is confined to you.
I think failure to state the case, failure accurately to report on events in the Assembly, is something that you and others have conducted in relation to the Acton Peninsula. I will quote you shortly the history of some events, a history you know because you sat somewhere in this chamber when certain things unfolded. From time to time we hear in the community similar comments to those made by Mr Moore. People who have not been as closely involved as you may be excused for failing to indicate the facts of this case.
Mr Moore began and finished his speech by saying in respect of the Royal Canberra Hospital that the Government squirmed, turned around and broke promises. That is simply wrong, and you know it. Let me go back to the Legislative Assembly proceedings of 6 June 1990 - interestingly, one year ahead of the time Rosemary Follett again became Chief Minister. That was the time when the then Leader of the Opposition, Rosemary Follett, introduced a Bill to keep open the Royal Canberra Hospital. It is that point that Mr Moore jumps on, because the ALP had been saying, "We will keep Royal Canberra Hospital open". We made as much to-do of that in this Assembly as we did of the schools that the government of the day was also proposing to close.
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