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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 7 Hansard (24 June) . . Page.. 2031 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

The other important economic asset being debated at the moment is Canberra Airport. There are proposals to move it to international status. (Extension of time granted) This development is important to the economic development of our city and our region. The Government is supporting the study into what can be done to upgrade Canberra Airport to international status, but it has indicated some unwillingness to commit to maintaining an ACT Government strategic stake in the ownership and future development of that airport. This is a very short-sighted move. We have found in other cities in Australia, for instance, Cairns, and cities overseas - for instance, a city very comparable to ours, namely, Christchurch - city councils have taken a strategic stake in the ownership of important assets such as airports. It actually enables the city to control its economic development and to control the development of the airport for the benefit of the community. The Labor Party has said quite clearly that we believe there is a role for government in taking a strategic stake in the development of the airport. We would like to see the Government do this. Unfortunately, we have not seen that to date.

The final point I want to make is in relation to the Business Services Centre and the new scheme called Business Link which the Government runs. In 1996 the Liberal Government closed down the Business Services Centre that operated in Civic. It closed down a centre which had taken 1,157 contacts with business between January and June last year and had taken a similar number for the rest of that year. In all, it had taken about 2,250 inquiries from business. The helpShop program took 3,500 inquiries for assistance from local shopping centres. The Business Services Centre had a total of 10,000 over-the-phone and counter inquiries last year.

The Government replaced this very successful and well-utilised program with a scheme called Business Link. It contracted it out to the ACT Chamber of Commerce and Industry. So far this year Business Link has had a measly 82 face-to-face meetings and taken only 486 business-related phone and counter inquiries. Granted, that has been between only the beginning of this year and April; but, compared with the volume of inquiries that the Business Services Centre took last year and in preceding years, ACT Business Link is going to have to do a lot of work to get up to speed if it is to match the level of inquiries that the Business Services Centre took. I think one of the main reasons for this is that the Government blindly went ahead with a virtual privatisation of this scheme without actually considering how many people utilised it.

Compare 10,000 face-to-face, over-the-phone and other inquiries to the Business Services Centre, located centrally in a visible office shopfront here in Civic, with 482 inquiries to Business Link. That is nowhere near 10,000 and will not be, even if Business Link has an incredible increase between now and the end of the year. Business Link is located in a very inaccessible business zone in Deakin, not in the city, which is central to people, or even in one of the town centres. It is tucked away in a little office in Thesiger Court in Deakin, which is not a particularly easy place to find. This demonstrates that the Government has really failed in providing assistance to businesses. It stopped the very successful and well-used service of the Business Services Centre and replaced it with a service which is not servicing a very high number of people, which has a much lower profile - - -

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