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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 2 Hansard (28 February) . . Page.. 420 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

We need to take into consideration that the lights, which are to be erected on four columns, are of a type that is normally used right across town and is designed to minimise spill. Also, the lights are to be placed on a very mature oval which has very mature trees. The lights probably will not even stand out once they are up because, from my knowledge, the poles are not particularly wide. Everything has been gone through.

Quite clearly, I think it is very socially desirable to encourage junior sport, especially in this town. We do not have a plethora of ovals. Whilst we are probably far better serviced than most other parts of the country due to the nature of our population, there is a need to ensure that we adequately provide for kids who want to play sport, and I think soccer-I gave the example of Gungahlin Soccer Club-is the main sport where this is happening.

Getting kids involved in healthy physical outdoor activity such as junior soccer is an admirable thing which I think all of us would agree with. I would certainly hate to see a number of young people denied the opportunity to undertake that activity simply because of some objections being raised, and especially when, through an independent process, all the proper steps have been taken. All the i's have been dotted, all the t's have been crossed in this process and there does not appear to be anything left out in terms of a proper and reasonable consideration of all the circumstances, including the objections of those people who obviously contacted Mr Corbell-some have contacted me, too-and on whose behalf no doubt he brings this motion.

So I would submit to members that there is no real need to take the action suggested by Mr Corbell. I think the matter should proceed. It has been through all the relevant checks and hoops. There is no real reason at this stage for further consideration because I think the process has certainly been followed in this matter.

MS TUCKER (4.48): From similar lighting installations at other sports ovals, we are aware that flood lighting does have impacts on adjacent residents through glare and increased traffic and noise at night. However, I have some reservations about this motion as I accept that there is a demand for sporting activity to take place at night and, indeed, as Mr Stefaniak said, there is a public health benefit from having more people involved in sport.

Many other ovals around Canberra are already floodlit-I understand that some 30 other ovals around Canberra are floodlit in the same way as it is proposed to light this oval. It would be unfair to other residents to stop lights being installed at Yarralumla oval without reviewing all ovals that are floodlit and seeing whether this proposal is worse than other floodlit ovals.

I am, however, particularly keen to reduce the light pollution that occurs from these types of installations. Members may recall that during the last Assembly a committee inquiry into light pollution initiated by the Greens found that there was a problem with the inefficiency of Canberra's outdoor lighting. The committee recommended that high-quality, down-only lighting be installed at all new sportsgrounds, with the objective of achieving "best practice" lighting and reduced light impacts on surrounding areas.

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