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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 5 Hansard (15 May) . . Page.. 1508 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

I certainly have no record of having received the documents. I have to indicate very clearly that, although I am concerned about any delays, I do not accept any responsibility for that particular delay, except to the extent that anything that happens within my department is my responsibility in the Westminster sense.

The other recommendation of the committee concerned the B1 area. Let me say that I reject the comment that the Government has delayed consideration of this issue. The Government has been engaged in an extensive consultation process involving the LAPACs and a range of other interested groups and individuals. Members of the committee would be aware, and I think must agree, that the issues relating to the B1 area in North Canberra especially are complex and cannot be resolved quickly. I personally have discussed the issues with members of LAPACs, with members of the Assembly, with members of the Urban Design Advisory Committee, and with numerous other people, both personally and by correspondence. I think it was important for the Government to try to improve on the present position with B1 before releasing the guidelines, which will be released on Saturday and on which members of the Planning and Environment Committee will have a briefing tomorrow morning, I think. Members of the committee were advised by members of the Planning and Land Management Group that the review was almost complete when that comment was made. Those are the issues to do with the timetabling. However, I am pleased that the variation has now been tabled, and I commend it to the Assembly.

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning) (3.44): Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, for the information of members, I present the Commissioner for the Environment's report, "Management of Noise from Motorsports in the ACT", and the Government's response. I move:

That the Assembly takes note of the papers.

This is a government that is committed to the environment in general and to the principle of ecologically sustainable development in particular. It is also a government that is committed to economic development and to maximising the freedom of individuals to live their lives however they choose, including their choice of sporting and recreational activities. Sometimes these principles or freedoms come into conflict with each other and a balance has to be struck, one that delivers the greatest possible benefits to the greatest number of people. The Government's response to the Commissioner for the Environment's report, "Management of Noise from Motorsports in the ACT", strikes just such a balance.

Environmental noise is a common and ongoing problem in our community, particularly in and adjacent to residential areas. Things people do on a daily basis, such as mowing the lawn and running airconditioners, can be the cause of considerable irritation and even distress to their neighbours; but the solution does not lie in banning lawn-mowers or

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