Page 4421 - Week 14 - Thursday, 1 December 1994
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
I note the comments that have been made about the Queanbeyan City Council's interest in the advanced technology manufacturing estate, and I acknowledge that they have not always come forward and consulted the ACT on developments in Queanbeyan and what impact developments in Queanbeyan would have on the ACT. But that does not mean that we cannot start now. We have the perfect opportunity to work together with the Queanbeyan City Council to identify a demand for this estate, which will meet the needs of the region, which includes both Canberra and Queanbeyan. I would certainly hope that Queanbeyan City Council is not discouraged by the debate and some of the comments that have been made in this Assembly today, because I think working relations between the ACT and Queanbeyan are very important.
Mr De Domenico talked about employment levels. I agree that employment levels and the generation of jobs are extremely important. But the question is: Should we be approving this variation to the Territory Plan now, when we do not know the potential of the estate? I have no idea whether the initial nine sites will be sufficient for an advanced technology manufacturing estate, and I do not know whether the representatives of CRATMA believe that either. Mr Wood said that he appreciated that the Liberals had given careful consideration to the issues in relation to this block and section in Symonston. I believe that I have given the issue fairly careful consideration also, and I believe that my dissenting report covered a number of areas which all suggest that the Assembly would be better off deferring consideration of the draft variation until all the parameters are known.
I also note Mr Wood's comments about the Royal Australian Planning Institute perhaps being off the mark when it said that perhaps the advanced technology manufacturing estate would be better placed in Gungahlin. I do not think that that is necessarily the issue. The issue that they are drawing attention to is the lack of strategic detail that has gone into looking at the establishment of this advanced technology manufacturing estate. Is it appropriate to locate it in Symonston, adjacent to Fyshwick? What are the ramifications of doing so? What does that say about developments of this type in the ACT in the future? Madam Speaker, obviously, members of this Assembly are not going to support the disallowance motion at this time; but I am happy that I have been able to speak to it and outline my reservations to this Assembly. It remains to be seen what happens with the development of the site.
Question resolved in the negative, Ms Szuty dissenting.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .