Page 844 - Week 03 - Thursday, 14 April 1994
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Commercial Leases - Renewal
MRS GRASSBY: Madam Speaker, my question is to the Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning, Mr Wood. I refer to the article in today's Canberra Times, on page 14. What is the Government proposing to do about the renewal of commercial leases?
MR WOOD: Madam Speaker, there is considerable interest in the renewal of commercial leases. I was proposing to address that in some statements I made to a business organisation yesterday, but because of a media conference - the media was so interested in the ALP and all of our good policies - I did not get to that meeting. The land Act provides that within 30 years of a lease expiring the lessee can seek, under particular terms and conditions, an extension of that lease. The particular terms and conditions are to be worked out. Numbers of leases are beginning to approach the time when they fall due, so I can tell Mrs Grassby that it is obviously a matter that we need to attend to in order to determine what our policy will be. It is clearly one of considerable interest to the commercial sector in the ACT; not just to the commercial sector, but to all ACT citizens who understand the leasehold system and have certain expectations arising from that system. It is a matter that I am beginning to give some attention. It is one that I will talk about broadly around the community and I will in due course bring to the Government recommendations as to our policy on terms and conditions for lease renewal.
ACTTAB - Contract with VITAB Ltd
MR DE DOMENICO: Madam Speaker, my question without notice is to the Deputy Chief Minister in his capacity as Minister for Sport. Noting the importance to the ACT racing industry and to the ACT punter that we are linked to a pooling arrangement anywhere, and noting that the New South Wales Minister has publicly stated, on a number of occasions, that New South Wales will not admit the ACT into their pool as long as we are linked to VITAB, will the Minister give an undertaking that he will immediately institute proceedings to jettison the contract with VITAB so that the negotiations with New South Wales can proceed?
MR LAMONT: I thank Mr De Domenico for his question. As I have said to you privately since my assumption of the responsibilities of the Minister for Sport, you can rest assured that the actions that I will be taking in regard to the continuation of pooling arrangements in the Territory will be in the interest of punters in the Territory. The Chief Minister has announced an inquiry into the VITAB issue. You were substantially briefed on that in the course of the debate that occurred in this house over the last few days. I have been informed by officers of the department that discussions are under way with the New South Wales TAB in relation to those pooling arrangements, and when I am in a better position to inform the house as to the progress of those discussions you can rest assured that I will do so. Mr De Domenico can rest assured that any decisions or action taken by me as Minister will be in the interest of punters in the ACT.
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