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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 5 Hansard (7 May) . . Page.. 1637 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

I think the point of the question you ask is well made-that there are significant funds being expended; that we need to determine how well those programs are working; and that we need to prioritise our expenditure to get the best outcomes.

I will have to take an update on where that work is at. I am more than happy to provide it to you, Ms Dundas, but I have not recently had a report. I will take an update and happily provide you with as full information as possible.

MS DUNDAS: Mr Speaker, I have a supplementary question. Thank you, Chief Minister; that was very informative. I was wondering whether, if you do have reports-and you said in the ministerial statement that you would-these can be tabled and made available to the indigenous community.

MR STANHOPE: There are some documents, although I don't know whether I would characterise them as reports. I am more than happy to take that question on notice, to look at the status of those reports. I would be pleased to make available what I can, but I don't know the status of the documentation that is currently available.

Horse Park Drive

MR CORNWELL: My question is to the Minister for Urban Services, Mr Wood, and it concerns the construction of Horse Park Drive. Given the increase in the total forecast cost of Horse Park Drive from $7 million in last year's budget to $10 million in the current budget, and delays attributed to, and I quote, "difficult design issues", would you please explain why, in an answer to question on notice 454 in March this year-and it was only six weeks ago that I received a reply-you stated that "there have been no construction delays"and that "no redesign is required"? How come it has ballooned from $7 million to $10 million, attributed to difficult design issues, when six weeks ago you said there were none?

MR WOOD: The ultimate cost is $10.4 million as I recall, if those are your figures. As to any variation in figures, I do not have an answer. I guess I would hold to any answer to a question that I gave you. I will look at the background conflicts that you seem to be pointing out here and, if there are conflicts and differences, I will resolve them for you, Mr Cornwell.

MR CORNWELL: I see. You might look at page 207 of paper 3, the budget overview, which states that $10 million is the project value. I do want to know why it has risen to that $10 million when, as I say, originally, in last year's budget, it was $7 million. What have you done with the other $3 million?

MR WOOD: As I say, Mr Cornwell, I will get back to you. $10.4 million or thereabouts is the figure that I have in mind as the cost of it. In the end, some years down the track-perhaps in about 10 years' time-it will become a four-lane road, but that is a different story. If you see differences there, as I say, I will try to resolve them for you.

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