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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 8 Hansard (31 August) . . Page.. 2746 ..
MR WOOD: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, on 23 September 1997, about three years ago, in answer to a question from Mr Osborne, you said that the government relied heavily on advice from consulting engineers Ray Young and Associates in awarding that original contract to lay the playing surface at the redeveloped Bruce Stadium. The company was expert in turf management and was engaged by SOCOG to evaluate and monitor playing surfaces for all Olympic venues, you said.
Yesterday, in answer to a question from Mr Quinlan, you read from a letter to the Olympic Unit from SOCOG's Director of Football in which the same company, Ray Young and Associates, warned that the Cairns option was not without risk. That company, Ray Young and Associates, recommended instead regeneration of the existing turf.
Ms Carnell: No, no, I didn't actually say that.
MR WOOD: Well, it was my hearing of it, Chief Minister, as distinct from what SOCOG said.
Ms Carnell: No. Ray Young works for SOCOG. They are their consultants.
MR WOOD: But what advice did Ray Young and Associates give to SOCOG? That is the question. What advice did Ray Young and Associates give to SOCOG?
MS CARNELL: My understanding is that Ray Young and-
MR SPEAKER: Are you in a position to answer that?
MS CARNELL: Ray Young and Associates are the consultants that are working for SOCOG as turf consultants, not just at Bruce, I understand, but Australia-wide. I think that is great because they are a Canberra-based company. They have done really well out of the Olympics generally, and are very competent. On the basis that SOCOG agreed to the approach that was taken by the Olympics Unit and Bruce Stadium to go ahead with the Cairns option, my understanding is that Ray Young and Associates did not disagree with that approach.
Mr Berry: They didn't say anything.
MS CARNELL: Well, they work for them, not us.
MR WOOD: SOCOG passed the buck back, but isn't it clearly the case that Ray Young and Associates were of a different view?
MS CARNELL
: Mr Speaker, Ray Young and Associates do not work for the ACT government. They work for SOCOG. I certainly cannot be in a position to know what advice Ray Young and Associates gave to SOCOG. I am in a position to know that SOCOG agreed with the position and the approach that was taken by the Olympics Unit and Bruce Stadium. I read that letter into Hansard yesterday, Mr Speaker, to make that
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