Page 306 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 1 March 1994
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Mr De Domenico: And Price Waterhouse.
MR BERRY: The Liberals urge me to mention Price Waterhouse again. I will. They are an internationally recognised company that has branches everywhere, I suspect, and they would all be reputable. The deal that was offered to us was profitable for the Territory, and is profitable for the Territory. On the advice that I have received, it is safe and it was therefore signed by the chairman of the TAB board - and it is going very well.
Traffic Calming Measures
MS SZUTY: My question without notice is to the Chief Minister, Ms Follett. During the last election campaign the Chief Minister publicly stated during her policy announcements on television, "I will provide safe and secure streets for Canberra families". I also understand that the traffic and roads section of the Department of Urban Services has no dedicated budget for traffic calming as part of local area traffic management schemes. My question is: What exactly did you mean when you stated, "I will provide safe and secure streets for Canberra families"? Do you consider it acceptable that traffic calming measures to improve road safety do not have a specific budget allocation?
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, I thank Ms Szuty for the question. I think it probably refers to Mr Connolly's portfolio as well as mine. One of the initiatives that the Government has taken in order to provide greater safety in the community is the community safety strategy, which I launched fairly recently, and the safety committee that is associated with that strategy. That committee, which is very broadly representative of our community, has a roving brief, if you like, in consultation with the community, to look at issues of safety, whether they are on the streets, in playgrounds, parks or whatever, and to recommend to the Government ways that our community can be made safer. I think that that activity demonstrates the priority that this Government does give to community safety.
There were two documents that I launched in conjunction with that strategy. The first of them was a background paper called "Towards an ACT Integrated Community Safety Strategy". That document outlined the broad principles of crime prevention and community safety that are being adopted overseas and in some other parts of Australia. It is a useful background document. I think perhaps the more important part of that document is the draft ACT community safety strategy. That focuses on some key issues, such as determining the extent of crime in the ACT and how to go about getting the very best information we can, and the criteria for evaluating community safety programs. If you are going to have community safety programs I think you need to evaluate them; you need to ensure that they are being effective. That is a very important part of community safety.
With particular reference to traffic calming and the traffic and roads part of Ms Szuty's question, Madam Speaker, I believe that the funding for that is in the minor new works budget. I can get further information on that for Ms Szuty, and I undertake to do so.
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