Page 4686 - Week 15 - Wednesday, 7 December 1994
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MR WOOD: Madam Speaker, over the years of self-government, the Education Department has been constantly looking at its efficiencies. Every agency of government has been doing that. I do not know where Mr Cornwell has been if he is surprised by that fact. All agencies are required to make savings. Given the Federal funding constraints, there is constant pressure for them to do so. The department is looking across a whole range of areas. You see some of those in reflection when you get a letter from a school saying, "Our oval has not been watered as well as it was formerly". These are the sorts of measures that are undertaken, and they will continue to be followed.
Starlight Drive-In Site - Redevelopment
MR MOORE: Madam Speaker, my question is to Mr Connolly in his capacity as Minister for consumer affairs. I refer, first of all, to the question that I asked of Mr Wood yesterday with reference to the Starlight Drive-in site. I might also point out that I gave Mr Connolly some notice of the style of question that I was going to ask. Mr Wood gave me a further written answer today to the question that I asked, in which he said that an application for design and siting approval is under consideration at this time but that the application cannot be approved until an application for variation of the relevant lease has been finalised. Madam Speaker, I have with me a copy of that application for design and siting approval, which has one square ticked, indicating that there will be no need for a change in lease purpose. It asks, "Is your proposal consistent with the terms of the lease of the land to which your application relates?". The answer there is yes. Madam Speaker, I also happen to have with me a copy of the lease, which I showed to Mr Connolly earlier today. The lease purpose stated is to use the premises only for the purpose of a tourist accommodation centre. Considering this background, considering that there has been a very glossy brochure put out to sell the 330-odd units on what is known as Karelia Park and considering that the sales agents are telling people that all the approvals are through, what action will the Minister for consumer affairs take on this sales gimmick?
MR CONNOLLY: Madam Speaker, I thank Mr Moore for letting me know that he was interested in this matter. I will ensure that the Director of Consumer Affairs or one of his officers contacts Mr Moore's office and gets hold of the detailed information that Mr Moore has. There is nothing inherently wrong in selling off the plans, as it were, and saying, "We are proposing this development. This is what we are proposing to build. We are offering these for sale" - subject to the person being told, if it is the case, that approvals have not yet been obtained. People have made the allegation to Mr Moore that, in this case, a product has been offered for sale without that warning, and that potentially raises problems with the Fair Trading Act. I will ensure that that matter is appropriately investigated.
MR MOORE: I have a supplementary question, Madam Speaker. Minister, having investigated this matter, will you make a public statement so that people are warned to take care? Will you personally investigate whether or not such approvals have been given and, since it is not in any of the brochures, give people a warning - having checked that, obviously - that such approvals have not yet been granted on this particular site?
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