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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 3 Hansard (27 March) . . Page.. 730 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

What damage would have been done by a four-week trial on the lake? That is the critical issue. Mr Speaker, none of the environmentalists I spoke to, none of the departmental officers I spoke to, none of the planners I spoke to, nobody I spoke to, was able to suggest, much less prove, that there was any likelihood at all of any permanent damage being done to anything by a four-week trial - no damage whatsoever. I defy those who claim otherwise to show me what possible damage of a permanent nature could ever have been done by - - -

Ms Horodny: The birdlife may not return.

MR HUMPHRIES: I am sorry; four weeks of that kind of thing happening on the lake would not have damaged the habitat of birdlife. I state that categorically. I do not believe that it would have been the case. With respect, no-one was able to bring forward any evidence that that was the case. The people advising me certainly did not believe that that was the case.

Mr Moore: How old is the lake? Five years?

MR HUMPHRIES: How old is the lake? It is about 10 years old. Mr Speaker, again, I think that we are being a little bit precious about this kind of debate. We do need to be able to have a mechanism for people to take part in that kind of debate. We do need that. It is part of an open, living Territory Plan that we have a mechanism for it to change. I will tell this Assembly my view. I do not believe that the Government, or even the Assembly, should be the sole arbiter of what changes to the Territory Plan are put forward.

Ms Horodny: But you are meant to be the Minister for the Environment.

MR HUMPHRIES: Indeed, I am; but I am not an all-wise Minister for the Environment, you will be shocked to learn. I am not the repository of all truth and knowledge, and I think, with great respect, that nobody in this place has that capacity.

Mr Moore: Come on, Gary!

MR HUMPHRIES: I am sorry, Michael, I beg your pardon; with the exception, of course, of Mr Moore.

Mr Wood: Speak for yourself.

MR HUMPHRIES: I was. Mr Speaker, I am left in the position - this is what is being urged on me - of having to say, "Do I decide whether this sort of thing is capable of being considered, or do I put it out into the forum of the public?". What we did not have in this debate was a clear explanation from even some of the critics of this suggestion of jet skis of the process that a proposal to change the Territory Plan has to go through to be successful. I would much rather go through some of those ordeals that people on those Japanese humour programs go through, where they are put through all kinds of tortures involving hot water and being dragged in front of running bulls and things, than to try to put forward a suggestion to change the Territory Plan. It really is a very difficult proposition.

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