Page 466 - Week 02 - Thursday, 3 March 1994
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schools being very large has serious disadvantages. One of the economic issues that is most critical in this is comparing the schooling that would occur in Gungahlin with the schooling that would occur at Majura. The issue is dealt with in the report. It seems to me that it is one of the most critical of the costs.
What is also important is the cost borne by individuals getting to and from school, and that is a cost that is not taken into account in this economic analysis. Because there will be a considerable delay caused in terms of when schools will be open in Gungahlin, we can expect a significant financial cost to parents. Any parent who has to get a child to and from school when they are not at the local school will realise that this is a significant cost. In fact, in terms of bussing, we spend, if my memory serves me correctly, some $10m to $12m a year on bussing children to and from schools.
Madam Speaker, the only other issue I would like to talk about is the notion that the opportunity costs in relocation have not been taken into account; in other words, what is missed out in relation to how we could use that particular land. That is not taken into account in the economic analysis, although it is referred to in the committee's report. There is also the fact that the trunk sewer that has been referred to has suddenly been brought forward three to five years. The transcript of the PDI Committee hearings indicates Mr Tomlins saying that that was expected in nine to 10 years. I think that changes the figures somewhat, and that is part of the financial report. They are important issues.
No matter what the result of today's debate is, I would urge two things, and this is said with the wisdom of hindsight; I am not being critical in any other way. For a committee needing to get further information on a report such as this, it would be far better for the committee to have its own reports commissioned, and we need to be able to find the money to do that. I understand the difficulties there, and I am not critical of the committee that has done this; I have made that clear. With the wisdom of hindsight, I think we can say that that ought to be done. The report, with that in it, could have been tabled, people would have had the appropriate time to consider it, and we would not be trying to sort this issue out on the run. The major concern I have is that that is exactly what is happening. Although I have read this report in detail, I feel that I have not given it the appropriate time and consideration that it needs.
Mr Wood: That is obvious.
MR MOORE: Mr Wood, I have not had the time. For heaven's sake, it is 48 hours since it was tabled during a sitting week. It is all right for you; you might not do anything in sitting weeks, but the rest of us do. Madam Speaker, considering those things, it seems to me that we have no other choice for the time being than to disallow the variation when it comes on.
Debate interrupted.
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