Page 2603 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 24 August 1994
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MR WOOD: Madam Speaker, it is probably useful to give a progress report on what is happening there. Members will be aware that the ACT, after some of the steps I took, was unique in Australia in that we were able to take some measures to prevent the proliferation of those towers. Since I last answered a question on this in the Assembly, we have provided some money - $2,000, to be exact; not a great amount at this stage - to work with the National Capital Planning Authority as we prepare a telecommunications tower management plan. That has been used to employ a consultant, and that consultant is knowledgeable in telecommunications. We want access to our own information on that so that we are not dependent upon the carriers and their statements. There is a pretty raw - I think that was the term used - draft report as a result of our activity with the National Capital Planning Authority. That is going to be refined and it will provide the basis of our further discussions with the providers as we draw up our plan, which will control the spread of those towers.
One other interesting matter is that we have had a great deal of interest expressed from around Australia. News has spread that we were able to do something about those towers. Local authorities around the country are interested to know, as is the media, how we did it. Of course, there was a specific provision; we are in the national capital and the National Capital Plan was able to be used. It is pretty likely that the various local authorities cannot call on any similar measure, but it has done one thing: It has galvanised them to get involved and to resist the random spread of those towers. They are making the same claims to the carriers that we made: They want to be involved in this process and they want some measure of control over it.
ACTTAB - Contract with VITAB Ltd
MR KAINE: I ask a question of the Chief Minister. During the development of the VITAB negotiations, you were provided, according to information obtained by the Opposition, with some answers to possible questions that might come up in this house on that subject. Clearly, somebody anticipated that some questions might have been asked. Can you tell us the date on which you first received those answers to possible questions on that subject?
MS FOLLETT: No, Madam Speaker, I cannot recollect the date. I will try to establish whether that is the case and, if so, the date of those documents.
MR KAINE: I ask a supplementary question, Madam Speaker. Given that the matter has been of great public interest for some months, will the Chief Minister table those documents when she finds them?
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, I will undertake to examine any such documents. I certainly do not recall them, I must say. I can also recall pretty precisely how many questions I was asked, and that was none. I think the matter is entirely theoretical on Mr Kaine's part, but I will certainly have a look at what documents may exist.
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