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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 9 Hansard (31 August) . . Page.. 2602 ..

Mr Stanhope: I think Belconnen is the centre of Canberra, but Mr Osborne would disagree.

MR MOORE: Let me finish. If you look at the Territory Plan and take into account the fact that Canberra is fairly long and thin, you will realise that from the Glenloch Interchange there is very little difference in the time that it would take to get to Acton Peninsula, the current hospice site, and the time that it would take to get to Lake Ginninderra. Of course, the vast majority of people who come in from Tuggeranong heading for Acton Peninsula - not all, but the vast majority - would come down the Tuggeranong Parkway to that area.

Mr Hargreaves: That is rubbish, absolute rubbish.

MR MOORE: Mr Speaker, I hear some disagreement. For fear of misleading the Assembly, I will withdraw that comment. Some people coming from Tuggeranong would have that view. Mr Speaker, I will continue the process with those negotiations by listening this evening to what the community have to say with regard to the Griffith site. I will be very interested in what the Hospice and Palliative Care Society have to say this evening about the Griffith site as well.

Mr Speaker, a range of issues need to be considered in making the decision. When that has been done, I will put the appropriate recommendations to Cabinet, who will then make their decision. I take the motion of the Assembly seriously and am working in accordance with it. I have to say that, within the very tight timeframes I have, there are certain difficulties that that presents. I hope members do understand that, if they take a narrow reading of that motion, the chances are very high that there will be at least some time for the hospice to be moved into Canberra Hospital.

Ms Carnell: Mr Stanhope said that he thought that that was fine.

MR MOORE: I noted this morning in the debate on the Appropriation Bill that Mr Stanhope did say that he was not worried about that and the hospice society was not worried about it. The hospice society, in speaking to me on this issue, said, "Yes, if that was to get the best possible site", and they were at the time speaking about Yarralumla. They said that they would be prepared to put up with that. The real issue with Yarralumla was, of course, the uncertain outcome in seeking a change to the Territory Plan.

There are good arguments as to why a hospice should go there, but you would have to say that there are also good arguments as to why the Territory Plan and the National Capital Plan identified that area specifically for recreation - one would imagine recreation associated with water sports, such as sailing and rowing, all of which line that base. There are good arguments both ways.

Mr Hargreaves: Not on the oval. It is not Alice Springs; it is Yarralumla.

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