Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 8 Hansard (30 August) . . Page.. 2626 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

decision not to grant a lease has been appropriate; there is no question of duck shoving or refusing to make a decision.

Mr Corbell: You don't grant the lease.

MR HUMPHRIES: You know perfectly well, Mr Corbell, what the decision says and you know perfectly well that the government had no power to do what you urged it to do. That was the effect of the court's decision.

Mr Corbell: It is on appeal and you know that.

MR HUMPHRIES: You were very emphatic before that the government was wrong. Are you now prepared to continue to argue that the government was wrong, notwithstanding what the Supreme Court has decided?

Mr Corbell: All I am saying is that the matter is on appeal.

MR HUMPHRIES: We will see. I think we have got a concession from Mr Corbell. Mr Corbell finds the Federal Court deciding-

Mr Corbell: You can think whatever you like, Mr Humphries.

MR HUMPHRIES: Yes, I know, and I probably will, Mr Corbell. But when the Federal Court finds as the Supreme Court found, and the advice of the Government Solicitor is that it will find in that way, I assume that Mr Corbell will come back to this place and concede that what he argued the government should do was inaccurate and wrong.

Mr Speaker, the government's position with respect to the amendments before the house is that it will oppose Mr Berry's amendment and support the second of Ms Tucker's, but not the first. As far as the first of her amendments is concerned, I am not sure what the extent of economic benefits and social benefits might be from drag-racing, but I concede that there would be some economic benefits to the ACT and they ought to be acknowledged. We have said as much in the past. Although we do not concede that they are of anything like the same economic order as the benefits of something such as the V8 races that were held here early this year, we certainly think that it is worth acknowledging that there are some benefits entailed in drag-racing.

As far as the second amendment is concerned, let me emphasise most emphatically that I think that it is appropriate to conduct these negotiations on the basis that the government assists to some degree, but not to the extent of providing subsidised land for the purposes of these operations. I think it is appropriate in these circumstances to offer the land at full market value and also to be fully cognisant of the noise impacts which drag-racing can have in this community.

We have worked hard to try to find some solutions to problems of motor sport racing in general in this community. I remind members how very emphatic Mr Corbell was as environment spokesman for the Labor Party in, I think, the last Assembly when it came to the issue of how the government must not compromise the question of motor racing noise impacts on the people of Queanbeyan, in particular those in the Ridgeway.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .