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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 2 Hansard (1 March) . . Page.. 480 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

the company Clifton Amorim to harvest the ACT's cork plantation. However, an article on page 23 of the Canberra Times of 2 February reported that employees of Amorim were in fact harvesting the plantation.

Will the minister confirm that a commercial agreement now exists between the ACT government and Amorim for harvesting the plantation, and will he explain how the harvesting of the plantation was let, and whether or not it was the subject of a public tender process?

MR SMYTH: Mr Speaker, I can only assume that, at the time that I sent Mr Corbell the letter in response to his question on notice, no contract had been let. I will check on the process that was followed.

Amorim is one of the few companies in the world with the expertise to help manage and harvest cork and they have been very helpful in assessing what it is we should do with our cork plantations, which would appear to be the only workable cork plantations in the southern hemisphere. I will have to provide the details to the member.

MR SPEAKER: Supplementary, Mr Corbell?

MR CORBELL: Will the minister table a copy of the arrangement with Clifton Amorim in keeping with the Humphries government's new enthusiasm for open government?

MR SMYTH: I will look at the agreement and consider whether or not it should be tabled. Contracts between commercial entities are something that we take very seriously but I would certainly be willing to give Mr Corbell a briefing on the subject of Amorim and their contract.

Redevelopment-Deakin oval

MS TUCKER: My question is directed to the Minister for Urban Services and it is a further question relating to the agreement that the government has made with Croatia Deakin Football Club regarding the redevelopment of the Deakin soccer oval.

Minister, you told us in the last sitting week that the Croatia Deakin Football Club was granted its new lease over the oval under section 163 of the land act. This section related to the issue of concessional leases to community organisations that are not for profit and do not hold a club licence under the Liquor Act. Presumably, organisations that have a liquor licence are able to generate their own revenue and therefore do not need to be given concessional leases.

It seems, however, that there are actually two clubs involved in the Deakin soccer oval. The lease of the oval was originally held by the Croatia Deakin Soccer Club, not the football club. The Croatia Deakin Soccer Club also holds the lease of the land in Grose Street, Deakin, on which its club building stands, and also holds a club licence under the Liquor Act.

However, in 1998, when the plans for oval redevelopment were started, the lease of the oval was transferred to the Croatia Deakin Football Club, a new separately registered organisation that does not have a liquor licence. Interestingly, the committees of the

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