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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 1 Hansard (16 February) . . Page.. 168 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

was logged and then successfully replanted. That occurred some 30 to 40 years ago and you can hardly tell the difference. I am also aware of areas on the far south coast where a rejuvenation process seems to be going very well.

I agree with comments made by Ms Tucker and Mr Corbell about the success of pine forests and how effective they have been. There is certainly some evidence that properly sustainable and sensible development is not incompatible with looking after the environment.

We are also talking - I am sure the local councils have discussed this and will discuss it further - about jobs. I think Mrs Carnell raised that matter in her speech. That is an important factor when she goes to regional forums and talks to shire councils. Maybe Mr Corbell has this in mind in his amendment. I hope that is the case.

Based on recent figures, these areas often have annual incomes of about $16,000 a year. There is a lot of unemployment and depression. The closing of the fish cannery at Eden, which employed 143 people, has led to further unemployment. Any changes that occur to those local economies can be quite devastating for families. The local economies start off on a fairly poor footing too in terms of average earnings. Certainly many of the people I speak to in the Pambula region are not well off. You only have to go into the bottom pub there to see that you are dealing with a lot of battlers - wonderful people, but battlers.

I hope that the New South Wales authority is wary about where it goes and that it has due regard to the environment and the need to sustain jobs. Ms Tucker refers to that in her comments about job numbers. If that is correct it is heartening. There is a lot to be said for new developments and pine plantations and species such as those.

However, there is a lot of strength in this motion, and in comments made by the Chief Minister, Mr Kaine and Mr Osborne that these people have their local council, their local members and I wonder whether they would take kindly to the ACT telling them what to do. I am well aware that the conservation and other forces are very strong in New South Wales. I am sure any further debate on this in the State of New South Wales would be robust indeed. When one looks at the history of New South Wales governments of various political persuasions one sees indications that they have not been averse to conserving natural resources and natural heritage and looking after the ecology.

Ms Tucker is not necessarily right in being pessimistic and fearing what might happen. I do not think that they would take a huge amount of notice of any policy or suggestions made by the ACT. There is a lot of force in what Mr Kaine, Mrs Carnell and Mr Osborne say. We might like to think that we can influence events, that as an Assembly we can make suggestions that will be acted upon by people interstate, but we are kidding ourselves.

Mr Corbell: Except when Mrs Carnell moved the motion about testing in the Pacific.

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