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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 6 Hansard (23 May) . . Page.. 1692 ..

MRS CARNELL: Obviously, this approach will also allow for a smoother program of works, to be managed throughout the whole year. One of the major difficulties in the past has been the long lead times between development and construction. There were always lags at the beginning of each year, and the system simply never caught up, Mr Speaker. The Government's approach, which the committee fully supports, will go a long way to overcoming this problem. Even with these improvements, I am sure that we all appreciate that any program also needs to be affordable. This aspect will be a major consideration for the Government in considering next year's budget.

The committee has made 22 recommendations, and the Government supports the majority of these. The committee has recommended deferral of a number of proposals pending the outcome of further studies. These relate primarily to the AMTECH estate, EPIC and the Erindale Centre. The Government will take the committee's concerns into account before making final decisions in the budget context. Looking to the future, it is proposed that the 1997-98 draft capital works program will be provided to the committee in January 1997. The justification process for new works will be further strengthened as part of the Government's financial management reforms, including new arrangements for funding capital works. Longer-term planning cycles are also being developed. Again, I thank the committee for their work, and I commend the Government's response to the Assembly.

Debate (on motion by Mr Moore) adjourned.

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning) (3.36): Mr Speaker, for the information of members, I present the Government's response to Report No. 2 of the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Tourism on the expansion of nature-based tourism in the ACT, which was presented to the Assembly on 12 December 1995. I move:

That the Assembly takes note of the paper.

Mr Speaker, to save time, I seek leave to have my presentation speech incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

Speech incorporated at Appendix 1.

Debate (on motion by Mr Kaine) adjourned.

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