Page 1043 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 20 April 1994
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As a member of the PDI Committee, to which Ms Ellis, Ms Szuty and Mr Lamont have alluded, I believe that we have not seen any city in this country that does it better than it has to happen in the ACT, and I acknowledge that there are some areas of great concern. Very simply, Mr Deputy Speaker, Mr Humphries's motion ought to receive the support of this Assembly because it is saying one simple thing: For heaven's sake, when humanly possible, let us talk to the people before we do anything.
MRS GRASSBY (12.04): Mr Deputy Speaker, one of the things I always enjoyed about living in Aranda was the fact that all the trees were left there and the houses were built around them. They were the trees that grew in Canberra long before Aranda was developed. I do not know how you knock on a door on an empty block and ask them about what you are going to plant there. I would not have liked to move into Isaacs, as I know Mr Kaine did, in the very early stages when there was not a tree there. It is only now starting to look like a reasonable suburb. Until the trees started to grow, I think it was one of the worst looking suburbs in the whole of Canberra. At least now that the trees are starting to grow, it looks a lot more pleasant.
I find it very hard to understand how you are going to knock on the door of an empty block and ask somebody what they want. I would much prefer to see some trees growing in the area, so that you do not end up with an area like Isaacs, which looks like a mass of houses, little boxes, and no trees.
Mr Berry: There are some big boxes there, Ellnor.
MRS GRASSBY: Yes, you are right there, Mr Berry. There are some very large boxes. That is all the more reason, I think, why there should be more trees there to hide some of those very large ugly boxes.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am fascinated that you found that the trees in Aranda were left. I do not know how you established whether they were left or right, but never mind.
MR STEVENSON (12.06): That is a most interesting thought, Mr Deputy Speaker. The motion is simply a matter of consultation, and that is a reasonable thing. The motion does not suggest that the consultative advice has to be followed, but it is a good idea to do it. Mrs Grassby says that she does not know how you knock on the door on an empty or vacant block of land. It is difficult. However, there are many cases where, though the block be empty, it has already been purchased by a prospective home owner. Though you may not be able to knock on the door on that block, you could certainly send a letter to their current address and ask them about the consultative process. That needs to be thought about.
Secondly, once the homes start to go up, you can talk to other people in the area, and that is what should be done. If there is no-one to talk to, obviously you cannot have that process. It is a sensible motion; it would increase consultation. It is important to keep Canberra as the showpiece of this nation.
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