Page 3422 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 13 October 1993
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My question to the Minister is: Why have the members of the ROCKS group now been informed, after several promising discussions on the possibility of establishing a temporary planting until the area is redeveloped, that the recommendation from the department to use the area as a car park will proceed?
MR CONNOLLY: This issue has been going on for some time. Probably since the last correspondence from that group I have had a discussion with the Secretary of the Department, Mr Turner. I indicated that, on the basis that it is clearly accepted that it is a temporary purpose and that if we allow them to plant a few trees this piece of land, which is in a central Canberra position and which the Government obviously will have to make a decision about, does not magically become a green space and thus is to be protected for all time, we could favourably view the proposition of putting in some plants. At the moment we are looking at that in some detail. While there were some fairly strong departmental views that a car park was appropriate, I can see the sense in what the community group was saying. Provided they accept in good faith what they have said, that it is very temporary and that at some time in the future the Government will make a decision about that whole precinct, there may well be no problem with putting in a few plants there, and I hope to have a form of words to them in due course. I, like you, can see the sense behind what they were proposing. Our concern was that it would change for all time the status of the site.
Diesel Fuel
MR HUMPHRIES: My question is to the Treasurer. In Budget Paper No. 2 the Treasurer justifies the removal of the diesel fuel exemption for off-road users by saying:
There is evidence to suggest that fuel purchased under exemption is being used for on-road purposes.
I ask the Minister: What evidence is there that she is referring to there, that people who use diesel fuel for home heating are using their fuel for on-road purposes?
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, I think I had better take the detail of Mr Humphries's question on notice as he has asked specifically for on-road uses. I can answer the question in a broader fashion and advise that there are about 2,600 people in the Territory at the moment who currently hold these exemption certificates. The advice that I have is from the Commissioner for ACT Revenue, whose advice I have found always to be exemplary. The advice I have is that 91 per cent of those exemption certificates relate to domestic space heaters, 2 per cent relate to primary production, and 7 per cent relate to other off-road uses, for example, construction. That is the broad answer to the question, Madam Speaker.
Looking at that pattern of usage, you can readily see that the original intention behind this exemption is simply not being observed. The original intention, of course, was to provide an exemption for primary producers. Quite obviously, that is not the case in the ACT. As I said in the budget, and in speaking subsequently on this matter, I do not believe that a concession of this nature is justified and it is out of kilter with other forms of fuel use in the ACT.
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