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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 4 Hansard (25 June) . . Page.. 1018 ..

The petition read as follows:

To the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory:

The petition of certain residents of the Australian Capital Territory draws to the attention of the Assembly the negative impact the sale of ACTTAB would have on the staff, their families and people of the ACT.

We believe that a sale would decimate virtually all jobs currently provided by ACTTAB and contribute to the social security burden in Canberra.

Further, that any sale would have very small financial gain and would be offset by the loss of ongoing return that ACTTAB provides to the territory.

Your petitioners therefore urge the Assembly to vote against the sale of ACTTAB.

Petitions received.

MR SMYTH (Minister for Urban Services): Mr Speaker, for the information of members, I table the review of the Milk Authority Act 1971 and seek leave to make a short statement.

Leave granted.

MR SMYTH: Mr Speaker, as members would know, this report was prepared by Dr Robyn Sheen for the Government after extensive community consultation, including 22 submissions from the public. The report examines in detail the milk industry in Canberra and the public benefit it provides. It also takes into account a national backdrop of significant change in the industry as other States examine their milk markets.

Key recommendations of the report include that the Milk Authority Act be repealed and be replaced with two Acts, one dealing with the regulation of the milk industry and one dealing with the purchase of raw milk and the marketing of Canberra Milk; that this marketing entity be reviewed by 30 June 2000 with the purpose of determining whether there is ongoing public interest in maintaining public ownership of the enterprise; that the new regulatory arrangements reside with a government agency, to safeguard the public interest and to be consistent with Commonwealth law; that the existing contracts for the supply of raw bulk milk, which expire in May 1999, be extended until 30 June 2000;

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