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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 11 Hansard (25 September) . . Page.. 3212 ..
MR CORNWELL (continuing):
The manager said he had to break the news of the closure to children at 4 pm yesterday. The article continued that since the collapse of insurance company HIH last year insurance premiums had more than doubled, and the manager was told a few weeks ago that his insurer would not risk continuing the policy. Environment ACT was disappointed that the carousel had to close but hoped insurance problems could be addressed. Mr Penny said:
We regret any disappointment that this may cause and will inform the public of the reopening date as soon as a replacement policy is in place.
Minister, can you advise the Assembly when you anticipate that the carousel will be able to reopen, given that Mr Penny operates the carousel on behalf of the ACT government? Can you confirm that the carousel will not be open for the remainder of Floriade and the upcoming school holidays?
MR WOOD: It is inevitable that the opposition is interested in this issue. It is an important issue. We were all concerned when we heard about the closure. Your future question might be about those fairground things that go up and down.
Mr Pratt: I am interested in the things that go around.
MR WOOD: You are going round and round too, but I understand that with those that go up and down yours are all down at the moment and there are no ups at all.
I can repeat the answer which was in the Canberra Times. We afforded them all the information that was available. I can only repeat what is in the Canberra Times. I do not think we need to be lectured here about the problems of insurance.
Environment ACT and government agencies have been looking assiduously for insurance for the merry-go-round, as we do for all sorts of events in Canberra. We get involved to see if we can help people. At this stage we believe we might have a solution coming out of Brisbane. The insurance company has set very stringent requirements. They want to backtrack and see how the merry-go-round shapes up. That will take three weeks. I hope that at the end of those three weeks the company is able to take on the insurance. I cannot guarantee that, but there is some optimism about it, because it is a pretty well-run merry-go-round. We do not anticipate that we can conclude that arrangement short of three weeks, Mr Cornwell. If you have any other suggestions, please let us know. You might get off your current merry-go-round and help this one.
MR CORNWELL: I ask a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. Minister, do you consider that the interests of local government agencies such as your department and community organisations in keeping community facilities such as the carousel operating throughout this public liability crisis deserved representation on the Ipp committee, or do you agree with the views expressed by your colleague the Treasurer, Mr Quinlan, that they are merely special interests and should have not been represented on the committee?
MR WOOD
: Mr Cornwell, I do not think I have ever disagreed with Mr Quinlan-maybe at budget time once or twice. You could extend the Ipp committee forever to try to include absolutely every group in Australia. You will understand that that is a task that
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