Page 3432 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 25 November 1992
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Mr Moore happens to disagree with it. Let us wait and see what the people of the ACT and others say. As Mr Moore quite correctly said and as I am aware, the hospital facilities of the ACT are also for people in the region. As you would know, Madam Speaker, I am one who purports to have strong links with the region and who appreciates the importance of the region for tourism and other purposes. We in the Liberal Party consult with the community.
Mrs Carnell put it more eloquently than I could. When you talk to some of the people who are actively involved in these sorts of things, they say that therapeutically, for example, views of people are better than the views of trees. Mr Moore is squirming there again, but let us say that he is correct. Why should we not make sure that as many people as possible avail themselves of the views from Acton Peninsula and not restrict redevelopment to those few things that he has mentioned in his motion? We will debate that further, if you like, at another time.
The Liberal Party - like the Labor Party, from what I hear - is saying that there is a place for certain facilities such as the ones mentioned by Mr Moore on the Acton Peninsula site, but they should be developed in an integrated way. We are not saying that we are against any of those facilities being built there, but we are saying that there is a place for integrated development on Acton Peninsula. Like Mr Wood, I read very carefully what the discussion paper said. I think it bears repeating. As Mr Wood did, I quote it in full:
The Territory Government has decided to provide health care and medical facilities on the site.
Importantly, it goes on to say:
These are to be integrated with other land uses.
Mr Moore's motion, I suggest, does not say that. Mr Moore's motion goes way over and above that. Not only does he want to use the Acton Peninsula site; he wants to go a bit further as well. That is why the Liberal Party, as Mr Kaine and Mrs Carnell eloquently said, will not be supporting Mr Moore's motion.
Things were said about consultation. Like Mrs Carnell, Mr Kaine and everybody else in this Assembly, I have received letters and representations from various groups in the community. I say again that the Liberal Party will not be supporting the motion. The Liberal Party, like the Government, sees room for certain facilities on Acton Peninsula, but let us try to look at the vision. Let us try to make Canberra the same as, if not better than, some of the most magnificent cities in the world. Mr Moore, I am sure, as one of the most widely travelled members of this Assembly, would realise that we have a wonderful opportunity here to make use of that beautiful area called Acton Peninsula for use by as many people of the ACT and region as possible.
That is what vision is all about. Vision does not reside only in Mr Moore's head. We all have vision. There are things that we agree with and there are things that we disagree with, but one thing we can do if we have that vision is make sure that as many people as possible living and working in the ACT and region get the most use of that beautiful site called Acton Peninsula.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .