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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 9 Hansard (29 August) . . Page.. 2757 ..

MS FOLLETT (continuing):

Mr Speaker, I first raised this matter with Mr Humphries's office on 7 June 1996, which was the date on which one of my constituents from Macedon Crescent in Palmerston telephoned my office in a state of great distress as she had just found out that Nudurr Drive was about to be extended and that she had, at that time, only about a week to make objection or to respond to that proposal. I sent a note up to Mr Humphries's office on 7 June and I spoke to his office at the time. About two or three weeks later, Mr Humphries's office contacted me to ask whether they could have a copy of the note that I had sent up, and that was duly provided to them.

Mr Speaker, I heard nothing from Mr Humphries's office. I telephoned myself. On at least one occasion my office also telephoned to inquire about what progress was being made or whether there was any response on the issue. On 29 July, I actually wrote to Mr Humphries to point out that I had made my original inquiry some seven weeks previously and had not heard a word, and asked for the matter to be followed up urgently and for me to be advised of progress. That was on 29 July. I have still not heard a word from Mr Humphries's office on the matter. I think that is very regrettable. I have spoken to Mr Humphries's office since that time. I have been informed that their policy is to respond to fellow members within seven days. I support that policy totally, Mr Speaker. I only wish that it had been implemented on this occasion. It might have saved a lot of trouble.

Mr Speaker, I think the fact that even at this date there has not been a word to me or to my office about the extension of Nudurr Drive really does reflect very poorly on the management of a sensitive matter by at least one Minister in the Government. There has been, of course, a further mismanagement. That occurred, apparently - I say "apparently" because I do not have the letter myself - in Mr De Domenico's office, where the response which had been planned to be sent to the residents of Macedon Crescent was actually sent to the Chronicle, but not to the residents. Mr Speaker, the residents have now received that letter. They received it, dated 23 August, when, in fact, it had appeared in the Chronicle at least a week before that. Three of the residents actually wrote to Mr De Domenico pointing out that they had not received the letter that had been quoted in that Chronicle article. I understand that that was a genuine error in Mr De Domenico's office. Unlike Mr Humphries, he had at least written a letter. So, that is a point in his favour.

Mr Speaker, whilst all of these matters ought to be of concern to the Government, they pale into insignificance when you look at the issue itself. In particular, I have been concerned over the failure of appropriate consultation on the extension of Nudurr Drive. Mr Speaker, this is the matter that first brought the proposal to attention. I believe that the Nudurr Drive Action Group have been in touch with most members of the Assembly, or at least with the members for Molonglo, to raise their concerns. The original notification of the proposal to construct Nudurr Drive was simply not properly advised to residents who would be affected. I believe that that fact is quite incontrovertible.

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