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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 7 Hansard (19 June) . . Page.. 2035 ..

MR SMYTH (continuing):

believed that it was getting close to all of the conditions being fulfilled. My understanding is that he has got some cheques and that the payments will continue.

MR CORBELL: I have a supplementary question. Will the minister advise the Assembly whether the outstanding statutory charges owed by the developer to the territory have been paid in accordance with the conditions of the development approval?

MR SMYTH: I am not aware of what charges have been or have not been paid at this stage. PALM does not tell me when charges are paid, but I will find out for the member. The point here is that what the government sought to do was get a benefit for the people of Canberra. We wanted creditors to be paid and we wanted a tennis centre to go ahead that would provide jobs in the construction phase and give us lots of facilities in the long term. I understand that it is even supported by the Leader of the Opposition. I think what we have set out to achieve may be fulfilled, and I look forward to its being fulfilled in the near future.

School buses

MR HIRD: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Minister for Urban Services, Mr Smyth. Can the minister provide the parliament with some statistics outlining the demand for free school bus travel under the government's school student travel scheme? Can you give a breakdown of the number of applications between primary and secondary schools, and government and non-government schools?

MR SMYTH: As of 18 June 2001, we had received some 16,248 applications for passes for free school travel. Of those, 11,529 have come from students at secondary schools, which is about 68 per cent of all applications, and 5,305 have come from primary school students, which is 32 per cent of all applications. Students from government schools have submitted 6,728 applications, which is about 41 per cent of the total, while students from non-government schools have submitted 9,520, which is about 59 per cent of the total. We are expecting to receive about 20,000 by the start date in September.

The Labor Party argues that only private schools will benefit from that initiative. That is clearly not true. A brief summary of the government schools where more than 100 students have submitted applications belies this claim. For instance, 341 students from Alfred Deakin High have applied, 245 students from Belconnen High in Mr Hird's electorate have applied, as have 117 students from Calwell High School. There have been 173 applications from Campbell High, 175 from the Weston campus of Canberra College and 283 from the Woden campus. At Canberra High School 215 students have applied, while at Dickson College 119 students have applied. We have received 137 applications from Erindale College, while 225 students at Gold Creek Senior School have applied. 141 students from Lake Ginninderra College have applied, as have 572 students from Lake Tuggeranong College.

At Lanyon High School 146 students have applied, while at Lyneham High 137 students have applied. We have received 150 applications from Melba High and 297 applications from Melrose High. 384 applications have come from Narrabundah College, while 214 students from Stromlo High have applied. At Telopea Park 397 students have applied and at Wanniassa High 146 students have applied.

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