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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 3 Hansard (23 March) . . Page.. 697 ..

URBAN SERVICES - STANDING COMMITTEE

Inquiry - 1990-2000 Draft Capital Works Program - Alteration to Reporting Date

MR HIRD (3.48): I ask for leave to move a motion, as chair of the Standing Committee on Urban Services, to alter the reporting date of the standing committee's inquiry into the 1999-2000 draft capital works program.

Leave granted.

MR HIRD: I move:

That the resolution of the Assembly of 18 February 1999, referring the 1999-2000 Draft Capital Works Program to the Standing Committee on Urban Services be amended by:

(1) omitting "by 24 March 1999" and substituting "by the first sitting day of April 1999"; and

(2) by adding the following paragraph:

"(2) if the Assembly is not sitting when the Standing Committee on Urban Services has completed its inquiry into the 1999-2000 Draft Capital Works Program, the Committee may send its Report to the Speaker or, in the absence of the Speaker, to the Deputy Speaker who is authorised to give directions for its printing, circulation and publication."

As indicated in the motion, the parliament has directed the committee to report by tomorrow, 24 March, but the committee is not expected to bring down its report until the middle of next week. The reason for this short delay is the need to incorporate material obtained at two additional public hearings. These hearings were held on Thursday of last week and followed the two public hearings already held - one to hear from government officials and one to hear from members of the public. We received a transcript of those hearings only today, so the secretary is incorporating this matter as I speak.

Also, I am aware that officers of at least one department are busily preparing responses to matters raised at the hearings last Thursday. I understand that they will make those responses available to the committee in the next day or two. With all this activity going on, Mr Speaker, the committee needs some more time to prepare its report. On behalf of Mr Rugendyke and Mr Corbell and on my own behalf, I thank members for their patience.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

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