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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 14 Hansard (11 December) . . Page.. 4744 ..

MR WHITECROSS (continuing):

That is important for two reasons. It is important because, if you are to get compliance with the law, you have to provide people with alternatives; otherwise the law will be honoured in the breach, and that is obviously not in anybody's interests. You will end up with situations where there will be a bit of an inclination to turn a blind eye to the law. It will be difficult to enforce the law rigorously because you cannot point to an alternative for people who are in breach of the law. You will also run the risk that people will find alternatives, equally unsatisfactory to the amenity of the city, which we will then have to come back and legislate in relation to at a future time.

The Labor Party has always taken the view that some sort of alternative truck parking was an important component of any solution to this problem. I am pleased, therefore, to see that the Minister has now taken steps to seek expressions of interest for alternative parking facilities and that he has finally moved on this matter. As a result, we can anticipate a time when those alternative facilities will be available. My understanding is that the Minister has given a commitment that the law will not be gazetted until such time as those alternative truck parking arrangements are in place, and it is on that basis that the Labor Party will be supporting the passage of this legislation today. I think that is a reasonable compromise. I had at one stage been a bit inclined to adjourn the matter until we had seen that truck parking; but I am willing to take the Minister's word that he will make that available, and I look forward to seeing the Minister deliver on that undertaking.

The Opposition will not be supporting the Greens' amendments, which seek to apply a much more onerous standard in relation to what vehicles can park in suburbs. We have also resisted suggestions from other quarters that we should water down the legislation, for instance, by abandoning the proposition that vehicles should have to park behind the building line. I think this is a reasonable compromise; it is a reasonable start. I am pleased that the Government has finally decided to address the issue of alternative truck parking, and I think we can be confident that this issue is not going to go away. We are going to have to continue to monitor the situation. In the end, as with many other things, this will be resolved by some maturity and goodwill on the part of all the people involved to recognise that citizens of this city have responsibilities as well as rights and that consideration and accommodation is required on all sides.

I think it is appropriate to toughen the standards. It is unfortunate that the standards had fallen and lease administration had been lax to the point where the situation was out of control, and I think this law seeks to redress that position. I reiterate that the Opposition will be supporting the legislation.

MS HORODNY (5.43): The Greens' view would be well known to members in this place. We spoke on this issue in May. The Greens believe that it is not acceptable for Canberra residents to have to live next to the extremely large trucks that we have in our suburbs at the moment. They block up the streets, they rip up the footpaths, they endanger children playing in those areas, and they disturb the sleep of neighbours. For residents to have to put up with insensitive and sometimes intimidating truck drivers who believe they have a right to park their trucks wherever and whenever they like is unacceptable. I am glad we finally have the opportunity to formalise these rules into legislation. Hopefully, with a number of amendments, we can ensure that the rules will be more effective, and I will talk about those amendments later.

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