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MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning) (3.32), in reply: Mr Speaker, as I indicated in the final paragraphs of my statement, the Government views this process as an ongoing one. Indeed, I indicated in the third last paragraph that we intend to release a discussion paper on preferred management options for contaminated sites. There are a whole series of issues which are, as yet, unresolved and which I expect that the Planning and Environment Committee will be giving the Government views about so that we can formulate positions on those things as well.

Mr Berry: Yes, but you do not. It is rude to operate separately.

MR HUMPHRIES: If Mr Moore or his committee interprets what is in this document as being the final statement on this matter, Mr Speaker, I certainly regret that impression.

Ms McRae: It does not say “draft”.

MR HUMPHRIES: If Ms McRae had cared to read my statement, particularly the third last paragraph, instead of chatting as she was while the thing was being read, she would have noticed that that is what we say in the third last paragraph.

Ms McRae: Yes, but it does not say it here.

MR HUMPHRIES: It does say it there, Ms McRae, so you should look.

Ms McRae: Yes, but I am reading bits.

MR HUMPHRIES: You should look further, should you not, Ms McRae? Mr Speaker, I certainly acknowledge that the Government will need to, and expects to, work closely with the Planning and Environment Committee about these issues. I would point out, however, that there is a large number of people in the community who are anxious to see where they stand on the question of contaminated sites. It may be that the committee has been talking about it, but it is also the case - - -

Mr Berry: We have been talking to them.

MR HUMPHRIES: Not necessarily to all of them. As I indicated in my statement, there are something like 100 different sheep dip sites in the Territory and 70 former landfill sites. I am sure that you have not spoken to all the people affected by those, Mr Berry. So there are other people who are observing this process and who are interested in knowing what is going on. I assure the committee that we will incorporate the committee's recommendations into our final strategy on what to do about these sites, but there is some need for us to be able to show that we have made movement on this subject in order to show that those people have not been abandoned by the Government.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

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