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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 14 Hansard (11 December) . . Page.. 4358 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

We walk the rocky road and see

Beside it skeletons of those who have come before

And wonder how we could all have been

Seduced by humanity's faithless song and love for one another.

And now we draw closer and see

The beauty is two faced

And suddenly we stand waist deep

The mirage, a swamp and turmoil and deceit

Madness clawing at our souls

We struggle to just keep breathing.

To stay still only to sink

To agitate and tire

Bogged like mud caked sheep

Some come to welcome its cloying embrace

And gladly let it close around their hopes and choke their dreams.

I am one of them and watch it suck their life

And wish that death would come to me

So that I can satisfy its hunger

Let it take me quickly as a sacrifice to break the drought

I still don't give up with your government.

Motion, as amended, agreed to.

Questions without notice

Land-rezoning

MR CORBELL: Mr Speaker, in question time today Ms Tucker asked me a question in relation to the Hungarian Australian Club. I am able to give Ms Tucker some additional information, but not all the information she sought. I hope to provide the rest tomorrow.

In the case of a concessional lease, if the lessee wishes to transfer the lease it has to approach government to seek approval to do so. The government's role is to consider the application against the relevant disallowable instrument and determine if the proposed transfer meets the criteria. If the transfer meets the criteria, approval is granted.

In the case of the Hungarian Australian Club, the criteria are set out in disallowable instrument 176 of 1992, which determines criteria for granting leases to licensed clubs. If the lessee does not wish to transfer the lease to a similar organisation, it must seek to pay out the concession applicable to the lease. This is a decision for the government. At this stage, pending the review of concessional leases, all applications are assessed under interim guidelines developed for this purpose and approved by me. The minister must agree to an application to deconcessionalise the lease.

At no stage have I been approached by the club to transfer the concessional lease to another club. Any action to hand back or transfer the lease must be initiated by the club or its agent. On 3 December 2002, an application to pay out the concession applicable to the lease was submitted, and further information is being sought. It is not the role of the government to negotiate the transferance of leases, only to consider applications to do so. Any caveat relating to the lease is a matter between the registered proprietor and the caveator. Any such caveat is available on the public register.

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