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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 4 Hansard (18 April) . . Page.. 1097 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

Supreme Court Act - Supreme Court Rules (Amendment) - No. 4 of 1996 (S54, dated 29 March 1996).

Weapons Act - Weapons Regulations (Amendment) - No. 5 of 1996 (S69, dated 17 April 1996).

MR HUMPHRIES: I move:

That the Assembly takes note of Regulation No. 5 of 1996 made pursuant to the Weapons Act.

Mr Speaker, I have just presented the Weapons Regulations (Amendment) 1996. In doing so, I wish to discuss the details of the regulation, which will ensure that paintball is operated in a safe and environmentally friendly way, and, secondly, to discuss the unfortunate trends appearing around ACT politics.

Members will note that I must authorise approval for any paintball operator, which must be incorporated and the directors of which must be fit and proper people, pursuant to the present framework in the legislation. The paintball guns must be stored securely and marked for identification, and they must be used only at a site approved by me as Minister. No person under 18 may play, nor may any person under the influence of alcohol or drugs. So, what we have, Mr Speaker, is a comprehensive set of rules which will ensure that paintball is operated safely, with neither the participants nor other members of the community losing out nor with our tough position on weapons being compromised.

In terms of environmental impact, the only location being considered for paintball is in pine plantations run by ACT Forests, although I understand that one operator is interested in an indoor venue, such as a warehouse. ACT Forests is very keen to have paintball on its land, as it provides a use for areas that otherwise lie idle.

Mrs Carnell: You would not want to put paint on pine trees, though.

MR HUMPHRIES: Putting paint on the pine trees might be a problem, Mr Speaker; but, apart from that, the pine trees remain idle, so to speak, except for the fact that they are growing. Forest areas can be safely isolated from the community, as is currently done, for example, for archers, who also use the forests - presumably, also, with the violent overtones that archery brings. So, I would defy anyone to tell me how environmental damage can be done by small gelatine balls with water-based vegetable dye in them, when an area is to be clear-felled in a few years' time anyway.

It was the Greens' reaction to this exact issue which, Mr Speaker, leads me to the second part of this statement. It seems that the standard for political debate in this Territory has lately become, "Bag, and think about it later". Look at Ms Horodny's reaction when we announced our support for paintball. Within minutes, she was on radio, criticising the proposal for being environmental vandalism. I note that she subsequently had some criticism of the ACT Government for a supposedly outrageous reaction, on the same lines, to her suggestion about the voting age being lowered to 16. Look at the pot calling the kettle black.

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