Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 5 (Hansard) 16 May) . . Page.. 1386 ..

MR DE DOMENICO (continuing):

In a recent media statement my colleague Mr Moore conceded that some residents do not mind a truck in their neighbourhood and that some drivers start up and leave quickly. A blanket ban for all vehicles over 12 tonnes GVM, as proposed by Ms Horodny, smacks of Mr Lamont's proposal, and we all know what the Canberra community thought about that at the last election.

I would like to briefly address Ms Horodny's claim that she can amend the Noise Control Act 1988 to cover the noise emitted from motor vehicles when entering and leaving their premises. These proposed amendments appear to be in direct conflict with national agreements and legislation models regarding vehicle noise and its place in law. The national road transport law will be regulating heavy vehicle noise, and the ACT Legislative Assembly cannot pass legislation which overrides or is in conflict with that law.

Mr Speaker, I have taken a realistic and sensible approach to an extremely difficult issue. There is not a blanket ban on commercial vehicles parking in residential areas. Those that park will be subject to strict parking arrangements, restricted operating hours, and a limit of one heavy or two light vehicles on a residential lease. These rules are the best compromise and support the majority findings of the working party established to address this issue. Amendments to the Motor Traffic Act 1936 to give effect to the rules are currently being drafted and will be tabled in the August sitting of the Assembly. I am tabling the document entitled "Rules for the Parking on Residential Leases of Vehicles used for Commercial Purposes", and I commend it to the Assembly.

Mr Speaker, I also alert the Assembly to a letter in this morning's Canberra Times by a member of the working party, a Mr Miller. Mr Miller quite wrongly suggests that the Government did not take on the recommendations of the working party. That is not true. The Government took on the recommendations of the working party holus-bolus. These are not the Government's recommendations - or they are now, or the Assembly's, hopefully; they are the recommendations that were reached after months and months of community and public consultation.

I say this too, Mr Speaker: Where were the Greens over the past 12 months? They were nowhere to be found. Ms Horodny goes on television from time to time making all sorts of accusations and suggesting all sorts of things that cannot be done. Realistically, I think these recommendations are a fine compromise on a very complex issue. I commend the words I hear from Mr Whitecross from time to time about there being no reason for blanket bans on anything. It will not work; it will never work. I think the more realistic approach of these rules I put forward ought to be commended by the Assembly. I present the following papers:

Commercial vehicles - Parking in residential areas - ministerial statement, 16 May 1996.

Rules for parking on residential leases of vehicles for commercial purposes.

I move:

That the Assembly takes note of the papers.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .