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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 3 Hansard (26 March) . . Page.. 663 ..

Mrs Carnell: Because they do not like it.

MR MOORE: The Chief Minister indicates towards the Greens, but Ms Horodny was part of the unanimous recommendation of this committee to look at that. Ms Horodny, of course, in the discussion raised the issue of commuter traffic and how we reduce reliance on the motor car; but we recognise that trying to achieve that by sending traffic down through other suburbs is not a logical way to go about it and that we need to have an overall transport strategy to look at the issues that she has raised. I am sure that she will talk about that further; but she certainly put a very logical view to the committee at the time. We also suggested, Mr Speaker, that:

the Government defer expenditure on Stage 2 of the AMTECH Estate at Symonston until the results of an environmental assessment are available ... I think that is important.

Finally, Mr Speaker, I point out that we were approached by a number of members of the building industry in Canberra in respect of this recommendation at paragraph 3.17:

the Government take steps to ensure that sufficient design proposals are on hand to enable a start on all possible projects as soon as the Capital Works Budget Paper is passed by the Assembly. If this means that the design proposals should be finalised as soon as the committee's report is tabled in the Assembly, then the Government should consider directing the relevant officers accordingly.

In paragraph 3.18 we recommend:

the Government endorse a broad range of capital works projects for the preparation of forward designs, in order to quickly substitute a lower priority project for one that is on the final Program but which encounters unforeseen difficulties in its implementation.

A good example this year, I think, has been the difficulties with Acton Peninsula, which effectively tied up some $8m of capital works money which could easily have been set aside for the following year, knowing that that was going to be delayed a year, and other projects could have started. I think it was a very sensible suggestion. I think members saw it that way, and I believe that the Government will see it that way as well.

Mr Speaker, I think there are some very sensible suggestions in the report. Earlier in the day I spoke about the one on bicycle paths. There are some smaller suggestions. The one about the skateboard park in Civic is an important one, and one that I have been interested in for some time. It is not a great deal of money in the whole picture of things; but I think it is a quite important issue for young people. I think that there are a number of areas in the capital works program where young people have been recognised - bicycle paths being one and skateboards being another. It is important that we remember that a huge number of people are involved in where the money goes as far as the capital works program is concerned.

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