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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 1 Hansard (18 February) . . Page.. 285 ..

MR HARGREAVES (continuing):

to develop a strategy to promote the use of full cut off lanterns in streetlights, car parks, car saleyards and other locations.

What the Government has said here is that, as far as it is concerned, work in relation to streetlighting will be contingent upon the outcome of the study referred to in previous recommendations and that lighting problems, where they exist, will be more efficiently handled on an individual basis. We would agree with that in a sense, except that, when we have brought up individual streetlighting issues connected with public safety - and proven through the attention of the police in those particular areas - those particular issues have not been addressed.

Two instances come to mind. One of them was a request by parents to have better streetlighting provided outside the Gilmore Primary School, where there was a young lass sexually assaulted and quite badly affected by the whole thing, as anybody with any sensibility could imagine. Parents in that area sought the assistance of the Government to remove some shrubbery. Well, they sent around the shrubbery-fixing mechanics and they performed a scorched earth treatment on the shrubbery around the Gilmore Primary School. That is lovely, because now nobody can lurk in there and jump out. But, of course, if the lighting there had been proper in the first place, that somebody would have been seen leaping out of the said shrubbery.

People have approached the Minister, they have approached the departments, they have approached PALM - I think they have approached nearly everybody in the ACT - and have said, "Please give us some improved lighting out there". The response they got, Mr Speaker, was: "It is a low priority". I reject that entirely. As far as I am concerned, we should not have to wait for some poor kid to get attacked before we actually provide that lighting. Certainly, if it has already happened, we have an obligation to prevent it happening again. For heaven's sake, let us have some priority here. It does not cost a barrowload of money to do that, when you compare it with some of the sillier things that we have actually costed. I suspect, Mr Speaker, that the Government is putting those other priorities ahead of public safety in that regard.

Mr Speaker, section 9 sought the Government's agreement to facilitate the development of an education strategy to inform the people of the ACT about the way that quality outdoor lighting can be provided. It was suggested that representatives of business, the tourism industry, police, resident groups, astronomical groups, lighting professionals and retailers, the NCA - that is, the National Capital Authority, although there is the possibility there of confusion with the National Crime Authority, because that would be a reason why you would want some adequate lighting in the first place - and any other interested people or organisations should be involved. In other words, the committee would recommend to the Government that all of the stakeholders who have an interest in this sort of thing get together and develop an education strategy to inform the people about how quality lighting can be provided.

The Government did not agree with that. It said:

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