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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 13 Hansard (4 December) . . Page.. 4554 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

Mr Speaker, the Government has gone up hill and down dale in this debate. We have heard different things from Mr Humphries and different things from Mr Stefaniak. That has only resulted in the motor sport community getting very confused about what the Government's position is. We have said very clearly that we believe that motor sport activity in the ACT and authorisation for motor sport activity in the ACT should be consistent right across the Territory. There should be no special circumstances for Fairbairn Park. Motor sport activity is motor sport activity. The law that applies in the ACT should be consistent across the ACT.

We feel very strongly that the motor sport lobby is taking a risk if they see that a system of environmental authorisations without a specific regulation for Fairbairn Park is the way to go.

MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Corbell! It being 45 minutes after the commencement of Assembly business, the debate is interrupted in accordance with standing order 77.

Motion (by Mr Corbell) agreed to:

That the time allotted to Assembly business be extended by 30 minutes.

MR CORBELL: The motor sports lobby is taking a risk, because there is a possibility that the EMA will be stricter than they would be under a regulation. There is also a possibility that they will be less strict. We are already trusting the EMA to make a decision about authorising motor sport activity everywhere else in the Territory. We are already trusting them to make sensible decisions about the level of noise allowed, how often it is allowed and when it is allowed everywhere else in the Territory. Why do we not allow them to make that same judgment, that same decision, about Fairbairn Park?

This should be an issue that is dealt with by the Environment Management Authority. This place should not decide what is and is not allowed at Fairbairn Park within the constraints of the Environment Protection Act. That should be a decision taken by the Environment Management Authority. We are already asking them to make that decision about events elsewhere in the Territory. Therefore, we should require them to make that decision also in relation to Fairbairn Park.

Mr Speaker, we believe that this is a sensible compromise. I know that my amendment took Mr Moore by surprise this morning. I received his motion late last night and I tabled my amendment with the Clerk first thing this morning. I accept that there is the possibility for further discussion on this issue. I would be very happy to discuss it with Mr Moore, Mr Osborne, the Greens and the Government. I think it is appropriate that we continue the process of discussion and negotiation which occurred on the rest of the Environment Protection Bill.

I want to place a number of other things on the record. I am very disappointed in Mr Stefaniak's approach to some of these matters, particularly for suggesting that events such as the Summernats and the FAI Rally of Canberra would disappear if the regulation that the Government is proposing were disallowed. He knows that they would not.

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