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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 2 Hansard (9 March) . . Page.. 419 ..

MS TUCKER: Okay. I will ask another one.

MR SPEAKER: Order!

Ms Carnell: It is all right. I am comfortable to answer it.

MR SPEAKER: A question fully answered cannot be renewed.

Ms Carnell: Mr Speaker, I am happy to answer it.

MR SPEAKER: Order! No, Chief Minister, I am sorry. Under standing order 117(h), a question fully answered cannot be renewed. The Chief Minister has answered the question. You may not like the answer, but the fact is that it has been answered.

MR QUINLAN: My question to the Minister for Urban Services relates to the government-commissioned discussion paper on the development of rural residential sites in the ACT. Is the Minister aware of any pressure from PALM or other government agencies to alter the consultants' report to reflect the Government's position on rural residential development? Can the Minister assure the Assembly that the report is completely independent and is a realistic investigation of the issue of rural residential development?

MR SMYTH: I am not aware of any pressure. Yes, I believe it is exactly what we commissioned, which was a report that would look into sites for potential rural residential development.

MR QUINLAN: I ask a supplementary question. Mr Speaker, given that the Minister has confidence in the report as an independent assessment of rural residential development, can the Minister explain why the lead consultant from TBA Planners, on 3 October last year, told PALM that if the changes were to "go much further" it is "no longer our paper"? How does this reconcile with the Minister's view of independence of the report?

MR SMYTH: I am not aware of those comments so it is impossible for me to comment on them, but I believe the process was appropriate. The inquiry has been conducted as such inquiries are always conducted. We have now put this discussion paper out for comment. We have taken comments from the community and will be assessing them and releasing the outcome shortly.

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