Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .
Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 7 Hansard (29 June) . . Page.. 2246 ..
MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):
industry. However, as Mr Rugendyke and other members will know, the auction where the milk runs were being sold occurred something like six weeks or two months ago and it was not possible to sell the Belconnen depot before the point at which the auction took place.
What has happened is that the infrastructure and asset management area of my department has effectively internally purchased the site from the Milk Authority and paid the Milk Authority the money for the value of that site, which the authority has then used to pay for the buyout packages for those vendors who wish to get out of the industry. The sale from the point of view of the vendors has already occurred, but the actual sale of the site in the sense of on the open market will not take place until September, and there will be advertising of the property and so forth before September.
The reserve set on the site will not be released before the auction, as is the usual case. In a sense, the vendors have already had the benefit of the value of that site, but for the depot land itself, which, as I understand it, is going to be amalgamated with some other government land next to it to get a better value for the whole site, that particular part of the process will not occur until September.
MR RUGENDYKE: I have a supplementary question. Minister, has the government received expressions of interest or offers for the land? If so, what is the nature of these approaches?
MR HUMPHRIES: I am not aware of the nature of any offers or expressions of interest, but I will undertake to find out and get back. Given the nature of the recess we are about to enter, I might get back to Mr Rugendyke directly on that question.
MR BERRY: My question is to the Minister for Urban Services and relates to a constituent's complaint about noise from government works, on my understanding of it. Minister, over recent weeks there have been some disruptive roadworks on Northbourne Avenue. Most people accept the need for these works and cooperate with construction teams, as required. However, last weekend, I am informed, work started at 7.30 am on Saturday and continued all day and through the night until 10.00 am on Sunday. This work included the use of heavy and loud machinery, which made sleep nearly impossible for those living along Northbourne Avenue. Some of them are public housing tenants, of course.
Why was this allowed to happen? Did it conform with the environmental laws at the time? Normally, people are not allowed to make this sort of noise in the middle of the night. The real issue here is that, whilst residents like to help out and be as cooperative as possible, it would have been nice for them to have been notified. Will you guarantee that notification will be given to these residents or any other residents, for that matter, that are affected by government works? Will you at some time advise this Assembly how you intend to make sure that there is no recurrence of this sort of disruption?
MR SMYTH
: Mr Speaker, I will have to take the bulk of that question on notice and check the details as relayed by Mr Berry. When we do roadworks we endeavour to keep the impact on the community to a minimum. For instance, in the resealing program
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .