Page 3913 - Week 12 - Thursday, 21 October 1993

MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, LAND AND PLANNING

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY. QUESTION

QUESTION NO 1038

Saudi Arabian Embassy Site

Mr Cornwell - asked the Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning

(1) Was there a proposal to offer land to the Saudi Arabians to build an Embassy in Yarralumla.

(2) Is so, (a) what is the current status of negotiations over the offer of land and (b)

where is the site.

(3) Did negotiations lead to the relocation of a bus stop adjacent to the site; if so,

where is the bus stop relocated.

Mr Wood - the answer to the Members question is as follows:

(1) The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was offered an Embassy site in Yarralumla by

the Department of Territories on 5 November 1985.

(2) Block 15 Section 66 Yarralumla was offered to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

for the purpose of an Embassy. The lease for the Embassy commenced on

17 March 1989. The Embassy is located on declared National Land and is

under the management control of the National Capital Planning Authority.

(3) ACTION Buses were asked to relocate two bus stops within Hopetoun Circuit,

Yarralumla after consultation with the Australian Federal Police and the

Department of Foreign Affairs and .Trade. The original request to relocate was

made by the Saudi Arabian Government which considered the locations a

security risk to their new Embassy site on Block 15 Section 66 Yarralumla. As

a result, the bus stops have now been relocated further north along Hopetoun

Circuit at 55 Hopetoun Circuit, Block 33 Section 75 Yarralumla and 28

Hopetoun Circuit, Block 26 Section 35 Yarralumla.

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