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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 3 Hansard (6 March) . . Page.. 633 ..

Legislative Assembly-alleged security breach

MS MacDONALD: My question is to the Minister for Urban Services. Can the minister confirm that the police investigation into a possible security breach in the Assembly relates to his email account? Can the minister also inform us what has been done with regard to the impact of the breach?

MR WOOD: Mr Speaker, in accordance with your words-and in any event-my answer will be cautious and careful, as I do not wish to compromise the very important police investigation currently taking place.

That caution will not allow me to express my outrage. However, it came to my notice, some weeks ago, that incoming emails were being wrongly diverted to an unauthorised person. It certainly is the case that, since late last year, I have not been receiving some of these emails.

I contacted InTACT. Subsequently, a little time later, further advice from another source was provided to the officers of the Assembly and the police were called in.

I am very concerned that the process of government should not be interfered with and that my role as member for Brindabella should not be compromised.

Suburban streets-speed limits

MS TUCKER: My question, which is directed to the Minister for Urban Services, relates to the current trial of a 50-kilometre an hour speed limit on residential streets. Minister, you would be aware that when the former Liberal government set up this trial they excluded the main residential streets though suburbs from the 50-kilometre an hour speed limit. We thus have the confusing situation of signs erected on the main streets into suburbs saying that the area is a 50-kilometre an hour speed zone being immediately followed by a speed sign saying 60. Many of the streets left out of the current trial are the busiest streets in a suburb on which shops, parks, schools and churches may be located. These streets are well used by the elderly, children and cyclists for whom traffic accidents can be devastating.

The National Road Transport Commission has estimated that zoning urban streets in Australia at 50 kilometres an hour will produce an increase in average journey times of 11 seconds because travel times through suburbs are more dependent on the need to stop or slow down at intersections or slow down for curbs, or because of traffic congestion.

Given that this increase is virtually negligible, why don't you simply zone all streets through suburbs as 50 kilometres an hour and so reduce confusion about speed limits and the potential for deaths and injuries on our roads?

MR WOOD: Ms Tucker firstly asked if I was aware of confusion resulting from new signs-a 60 and then a 50-being erected on streets. Certainly, I was aware of that confusion and I remember making some comment about it.

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