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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 3 Hansard (7 March) . . Page.. 698 ..

MR QUINLAN (continuing):

In April 1999 the head of the New South Wales TAB and representatives of Sky Channel, with a former sports minister of New South Wales, Mr Michael Cleary, acting as a consultant or lobbyist, met with Mrs Carnell, Mr Mick Lilley and Mr Brian Gordon, who is now an ACT sports bookmaker.

The problem apparently has festered for some time and therefore we do have to accept that there is some legitimacy in the position that New South Wales have taken, except that they forgot that there was a new government and they might have tried it on in a sensible and more measured manner. So it is a very disappointing shambles that we have but we will be working as best we can to try to find a way out of it and not see our racing club die on the vine.

MR HARGREAVES: Mr Speaker, I ask a supplementary question. What other action has the Labor government taken to protect our local racing industry?

MR QUINLAN: I have probably covered most of this in the rather lengthy answer that I have just given. I have certainly spoken with the appropriate minister in the Northern Territory to ensure that there are no other dimensions to this. It is quite apparent that the actions taking place in the Northern Territory are really what has precipitated these actions by New South Wales-the impending licensing of very large sports bookmakers to operate out of the Northern Territory will probably offer a real threat to TABs across Australia. But I have certainly spoken with the Northern Territory and I intend to keep the dialogue going there.

I think we are very close to setting up a meeting with Mr Face in Sydney sometime next week. It is a sitting week in the New South Wales parliament so we are just working on diary slots. As I said earlier, I have written to the Australian Racing Board regarding the expulsion of the ACT Racing Club, with a plea for them to hold their action until we have an opportunity to sort out a mess that should have been sorted out a long time ago.

Community sector accommodation

MS DUNDAS: My question is to the Minister for Planning. Minister, over the last few weeks there has been some media focus on ACT community facilities that have suffered extensive flooding, prolonged electricity failures and other catastrophes-potentially endangering the health and safety of community sector workers. I have heard that, in response to these media reports, the minister will soon be releasing the Conroy report on community sector accommodation. Will the government undertake a similar investigation into community sector accommodation outside the inner north of Canberra?

MR CORBELL: Mr Speaker, I am happy to answer Ms Dundas' question, although I should address it through the appropriate portfolio. As Minister for Planning I am not responsible for these areas but as Minister for Education, Youth and Family Services-and through that portfolio managing a large variety of community facilities-I am. So I will answer the question wearing that hat, if that clarifies the matter.

Community facilities are an important element of the social fabric of the community and of the very important not-for-profit activities that a lot of community services and providers give to the Canberra community. The Conroy report is an assessment of the

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