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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 11 Hansard (9 December) . . Page.. 3395 ..

Debate resumed.

MR QUINLAN: I am acutely aware that I am running out of time. I make a plea for the NGOs out there to have some flexibility when we work towards the purchaser-provider model because, on the one hand, they get a grant but, on the other, they are under the hammer of "use it or lose it". So they wish to provide service, they fill their book and then, of course, along comes a higher priority case. That high priority case is often passed from organisation to organisation and refused. Hence, we get people having to come to Ministers. I think the system deserves some flexibility to ensure that we are reaching the priority cases.

MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: The discussion is concluded.

MR HIRD (5.01): Mr Deputy Speaker, I present Report No. 16 of the Standing Committee on Urban Services entitled "Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve - Final Draft Management Plan 1998", together with a copy of the extracts of the minutes of proceedings. I move:

That the report be noted.

Mr Deputy Speaker, this is another unanimous report by the Standing Committee on Urban Services. It is a detailed report covering four basic documents: The 1998 final draft management plan for Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve; the 1997 public works implementation plan for Tidbinbilla; submissions to the committee's inquiry; and the transcript of the public hearing held on 21 August this year.

Arising out of this material, the committee has made 10 recommendations. I will not read all of them, Mr Deputy Speaker, as members will find them on page 5 of the report. The most important recommendations are: That the wilderness value of Tidbinbilla be better recognised; that all money raised by entry fees at Tidbinbilla be used at Tidbinbilla for the betterment of the reserve; that the Conservator of Flora and Fauna not be placed in a position where he is both the proponent of a major capital works project, such as the visitors centre at Tidbinbilla, and the provider to government of what is expected to be impartial advice about the conservation values of Tidbinbilla Nature Park; that the final management plan for Tidbinbilla be reviewed by an independent environmental assessor every three years, and this report be tabled in the Assembly and made available to the relevant committee; and that the Government consider increasing the staff resources of the Parks and Conservation Service in light of its many responsibilities at Tidbinbilla and elsewhere throughout the Territory. Members will find the detailed reasons for these recommendations in chapter 4 of the report.

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