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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 14 Hansard (10 December) . . Page.. 4838 ..

MR KAINE (continuing):

into the same category and some of the communities may wish to adopt their local park and make some commitment to maintaining and looking after it. However, it is not something that has yet been put together as a proposal to the Government. At this stage it does not have the endorsement of the Executive.

This particular letter that was circulated, I understand, was prompted by an application from a developer. I do not have the name of the developer, but it has to do with a small development of some body corporate units in Yarralumla which, as I understand it, are adjacent or close to a small park. The developer put forward the proposal that the body corporate may take over the management, in some fashion, of this adjoining or adjacent small public park. No endorsement of that proposal has yet been given; but, given that the department was considering something along these lines, they did ask people in the immediate vicinity a few questions, such as, "Would you be interested in having this happen? What would you like them to do? What would be your reaction if this were done?". It is nothing, as I understand it at the moment, but a simple community consultation process to determine what the people in that particular suburb think of this proposal.

Depending on the results, we may move to do something. I imagine that the people handling this at the administrative level, if they believe it is worth while, will come to me with a proposal. It is not yet at that stage. It may never come to anything, but it rests on the premise that people in the community, whether private citizens or bodies corporate or individual corporations, may wish to make a contribution towards the maintenance of a particular public facility, whether it be a length of highway or a roundabout in a suburb or a small public park. Beyond that, at the moment it has no endorsement from the Government. It is merely a concept. If it develops, no doubt somebody will ask me for my imprimatur. When that is done, I will consider it on the basis of the information presented to me.

MS HORODNY: I ask a supplementary question. I would like to know from the Minister who will make the ultimate decision about whether these parks will be adopted and under what conditions. If the scheme does go ahead, are we likely to see advertising all over these public parks promoting the businesses that are adopting them? For example, will we see signs saying, "This park is proudly brought to you by McDonald's."?

MR KAINE: That is putting the cart before the horse a bit. In answer to the general question as to where the decision will be made, obviously if I am persuaded, on the evidence presented to me by my officials, that this is a reasonable way to go, a submission will be made to the Cabinet for their consideration. The decision, if it is to be made, will be made by the Executive. That is when the details will be dealt with as to whether there is to be any advertising, if so what form it will take, and whether McDonald's can advertise that they are maintaining a public park. In principle, of course, there could be no objection to that. If we adopt the concept of McDonald's, for example, adopting a mile of highway, they would certainly want to put a sign up there saying, "This section of highway is maintained by McDonald's", just as is done in other places in the world where this occurs. In principle, I have no difficulty with that. If they are paying the money, I have no difficulty with the Government acknowledging that they are paying the money.

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