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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 11 Hansard (12 December) . . Page.. 2877 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

Under the restructuring proposal the department envisages that the Level 1 positions would remain but that the Level 2 position may no longer be required under the new restructuring. It would be likely that the Level 2 position would be transferred to a school location.

It also seems that the schools assistant and the bursar will be removed. How can the Minister claim to know that the education programs will stay intact and not be changed in any way?

Mr Osborne: That is a good question.

MR STEFANIAK: No; it is not such a good question. What you are probably looking at there, Ms Tucker, is things that are somewhat peripheral to the education programs. The education programs are the programs delivered to all those students. It is not envisaged that those programs will be changed. As you know, that has been written into whatever happens to Birrigai next year.

MR OSBORNE: My question, which is also directed to the Minister for Education and Training, Mr Stefaniak, is on the same issue. In relation to your recent announcement of some very drastic fee increases and the calling for management tenders at Birrigai, I ask: How did you evaluate and reject the proposal put forward by the staff currently managing the facility for the Government, which highlighted considerable savings and streamlining of the management facilities there?

MR STEFANIAK: If anything was rejected there, it probably was because it did not match up at this stage with what we might be able to get. As I said to Ms Tucker, this Government does have a duty to manage the centre as efficiently as possible. We also realise that we have a duty to provide those education programs, which we will do.

Those fee increases have not affected all those schools and all those students who are keen to utilise the centre next year. The recreation fees charged by the centre are still considerably cheaper than those charged by Warrambui.

Mr Wood: What about the Hyatt?

MR STEFANIAK: Heaps cheaper than the Hyatt, Mr Wood. At Warrambui, the charge is $13 a night for both adults and children. That is for the recreational side of the facility. From what we have seen to date, I do not think anyone has any problem whatsoever with the increases, which are most reasonable, sensible and realistic fee increases.

Mr Humphries: Can I go there, too?

MR STEFANIAK: You can.

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