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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 6 Hansard (3 September) . . Page.. 1955 ..

MS CARNELL: I have to answer a couple of questions before we break, Mr Speaker. In question time yesterday, I think, I was asked some questions about what was happening with Lower Jindalee Nursing Home and Erindale Police Station. I am advised that discussions are being held with a facilities management group at Canberra Hospital with regard to a possible health use for Lower Jindalee. I understand that a final decision will be made on this in the very near future.

With regard to Erindale Police Station, discussions are being held with the Tuggeranong Community Service for a possible lease over this property. Tuggeranong Community Service's proposal is to use the facility to house and run multiple community support programs. It is envisaged that the Tuggeranong Community Service will directly manage the majority of these programs. They would, however, also be eager to facilitate other community support programs managed by other organisations run from the same complex. The Government is currently considering this proposal and assessing the community benefits that will be derived from it. I am hoping that a decision will be made in the near future.

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I was asked today by Mr Wood about school band involvement in the 1998 Floriade. Yesterday the Canberra Times printed an article by Mr Robert Macklin indicating that school bands were not being asked to play at this year's Floriade. The article omitted significant information that had been provided by Ms Vanessa Dusi from CTEC, thereby providing the reader with a completely false report about the issue. CTEC has already written a letter to the Canberra Times expressing its concern that the article misrepresented facts provided to the paper by CTEC on Monday afternoon this week.

The Canberra Times has been made aware that, first, an extensive program of professional entertainment and community entertainment is being provided during this year's Floriade. Professional entertainment is being provided each lunchtime and evening on weekdays in addition to major concerts, the festival club and the weekend entertainment program. The weekend program consists of a diverse mixture of community and professional entertainment. Schools requesting the opportunity to perform at Floriade have been offered timeslots either before or after the professional entertainment. To date, 10 schools have approached the Floriade office and have been offered timeslots. At this stage I think 50 per cent of those schools have taken up the offer. It should be noted that the article omitted the last two items of information which had been provided to Mr Macklin. Those items, I am sure, could be construed as being in the public interest, and leaving them out could have been construed as being against the public interest. Copies of the original letter to Mr Macklin and Ray Veldre's response of 2 September 1998 and a list of the bands approved to date for this year's event are tabled for the interest of members.

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