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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 1 Hansard (20 February) . . Page.. 282 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

Labor would establish a Suburb Master Plan for all of Narrabundah, which would allow for a broad range of uses of this site, including community uses, to be properly considered. The Suburb Master Plan would also allow a comprehensive and integrated approach to be taken to issues in the Narrabundah community, such as concerns with dual occupancy development.

Once the Suburb Master Plan was completed the Government could then choose to release the site for the most appropriate use consistent with the views and needs of the local community. Any improved value of the site resulting from the process would then return to the taxpayer.

I draw Mrs Dunne's attention to this because yesterday the Liberals expressed a concern about pre-election promises by Labor and took a strong position on that matter. While I understand that the Liberals have previously supported this variation to the Territory Plan, now that they are opposition and have taken a much stronger position on process I am hoping that they are listening to this debate and will consider supporting my motion.

Instead of following the plan I have read out, Labor dismissed the proposal to continue the club as a club and soon after that accepted the variation. I have to ask why. That is the question people in the community are asking.

The government, in approving the variation, essentially removes any incentive for the Hungarian Club to negotiate with other clubs on taking over the lease. The government has put forward the argument that without redevelopment (to residential) the site would become completely run down and derelict, but this is mere speculation.

If the Hungarian Club knew that there was no possibility of change to residential land use, then they would presumably have no choice but to negotiate seriously with other clubs for a transfer of the lease. This means that the Hungarian Club would need to put more effort into finding a solution to their current problems, and there is the potential for this to be a solution that could benefit the wider Narrabundah community.

This is not likely whilst the club believes it can sell the site to a developer for residential units. One cannot blame the club. It is only logical that they would want to make as much money as possible from the sale of the lease. Therefore, they would rather sell to a developer than sell to another club.

The possibility of another club successfully operating on the site is not, I believe, as remote as the government insists. I would argue that this avenue has not been as rigorously pursued as it could have been and should have been. I am aware, as are many others in the community, that another club had shown interest in the site-interest that would also have benefited the primary school adjacent to the site. This is not consistent with the government's claim that no serious expressions of interest in taking over the lease had been shown by any other clubs. The government's actions in announcing the final decision to allow for residential development has squashed any chance of another club taking over the lease-if we do not reject this variation.

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