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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 3 Hansard (26 March) . . Page.. 665 ..

MR BERRY (continuing):

The Belconnen Community Council came before the committee and expressed some concern about the limited opportunity for community input. I think they raised some valid points. At the end of the day, we get a draft capital works program which is the Government's program. It is a production by the bureaucratic process of priorities, peppered with some government ideas and priorities as well - or the other way round, depending on how it is formulated. I think Mr Moore indicated earlier that, amongst the submissions to the committee, we were told that just the right amount of submissions and capital works came before the capital works committee; they did not have to reject any. Frankly, you and I know, Mr Speaker, that there are always bids in this process. I found it interesting to hear bureaucrats saying to us, "We get just the right amount of bids. It is just the right number. Here it is - just perfect, don't you worry about that". I think most committee members would need a little bit of convincing on that score.

There needs to be a process developed, I think, where the community can express a view about some of its priorities. The committee might subsequently make some recommendations in relation to those priorities. I know that we are in a situation with executive government where, if you elect an executive government of a particular political flavour, then you get a capital works program of a particular political flavour as well; but I think it would be a good opportunity for the community to put forward some of their priorities in order that they be considered and recommendations one way or another be made to the Government. Whether the executive government rejects them or not is a matter for it, and it is a judgment that it has to make; but I think it is something that the community would be interested in.

I will stick with the Belconnen Community Council on this score, because one of the issues that they did raise was the firm undertakings for a swimming pool in Belconnen. This has been one of my favourites throughout this investigation. Both major parties gave a commitment to the people of Belconnen that they would build a swimming pool. Mr Stefaniak said that it would be as good as, or equal to, the one in Tuggeranong. Nowhere has it appeared. There was some poor bureaucrat before this committee making excuses for the Government, saying that there will be a bit of a survey done in the last year of the Government's term about the provision of a swimming pool. This is a government which promised one, which surveyed the community, it claimed, in the press at the time, to ensure that it provided one. It became a great political issue. The Government equalled the promise that had been given by Labor in that election campaign. The people of Belconnen could rightfully expect that somebody would dig a hole and provide a swimming pool with a roof on it - but not a thing has happened.

What we have learnt, of course, is that a couple of businesses in Belconnen have been a bit upset about the competition that might come from the promise of the Liberal Party, and, of course, the Liberals have fallen into line. I just do not think that is acceptable, and the people of Belconnen will not think it is acceptable either because, if they are given promises by the overwhelming majority of people in this place, you would expect that something would happen. It does not appear that it is going to, and the community will be reminded about this from time to time.

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