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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 4 Hansard (17 April) . . Page.. 1026 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

I believe that the plan we have developed to achieve this measure and to get mandatory reporting in place in this Territory is the best one for the ACT. It meets the needs of all the children we are responsible for protecting in a way that will not compromise the services we have in place to do so. Mr Speaker, I commend to this Assembly the Government's plan for the implementation of mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect in the ACT. I, too, will certainly be keen to get details from the first area where training has commenced and will fairly shortly come to its conclusion.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Motion (by Mr Humphries) proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

MR WOOD (4.02): Mr Speaker, members know of my interest over a long period - over three parliaments - in the Cultural Centre for Canberra. I was delighted, therefore, to pick up this brochure from a display in the foyer upstairs, which explains all the exciting concepts of our Cultural Centre, which will comprise - I am telling you what you know - the city gallery and the heritage centre, and the way that they will work with the community to provide a vital centre, not something that is static and fairly dull. There is a deal of information in this well-prepared and useful brochure. But there is one bit of information that is missing, and it is perhaps, at this stage, the most important bit of information. It is, Mr De Domenico, where the centre is going to be. It does not tell us.

Mr De Domenico: Where would you suggest, Bill?

MR WOOD: I would suggest that building straight opposite the fountain.

Mr De Domenico: And where would we put the people who are there in that building?

MR WOOD: Had I remained in the job I once had, Mr De Domenico, I would have satisfactorily accommodated them. I think it is your responsibility now to see that that happens. It was always expected that the Cultural Centre would go there. I believe that it is the only place for it. I did indicate to the Minister on one occasion that, if he thought it absolutely impossible to put it in the North Building, a second choice - and not a very happy second choice - would be the construction of a new building on the car park beyond the North Building. But, there is no question that the Cultural Centre must be in the heart of Civic, as part of a plan - which, I believe, is agreed by all members - to enliven Civic, to make it the cultural heart and the living, breathing heart of Canberra. Therefore, I was disappointed, when I picked up this brochure, to see that the Government still has made no decision. There is only one decision: Put it in that building across the way.

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