Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 14 Hansard (10 December) . . Page.. 5092 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

In relation to the material that Mrs Dunne claims is being circulated, I am aware that a document was circulated to that meeting. No attempt was made to prevent that document from being circulated, but it was made clear to the person who circulated the document that, because they were circulating it as an ACTPLA document-that is, it had the ACTPLA logo on it and had been altered to suit this person's perspective-it would be inappropriate for that person to continue to distribute a document which purported to be from ACTPLA when it was not. That was the point that was made to the individual.

Those are the circumstances as I understand them. It was made clear to the person that, if they continued to misrepresent-indeed, falsely use-the ACTPLA logo on a document that was not prepared by ACTPLA, they could face legal action. That is not unreasonable. People are entitled to put their views, but they are not entitled to put views claiming they are the views of an organisation that they are not in a position to represent.

MRS DUNNE: Minister, if these accusations were proved to be correct-and I seek permission to table a statement outlining the claims-

Leave not granted.

MRS DUNNE: I have a supplementary question. When it is demonstrated that these things happened, what action will you take to discipline the staff involved?

MR CORBELL: That is a hypothetical question, Mr Speaker, and I am not going to answer a hypothetical question.

North Gungahlin-woodland

MS TUCKER: My question is to the Minister for Planning, Mr Corbell. In the variation to the territory plan tabled yesterday it is claimed that the draft woodland strategy was taken into account in planning to go ahead with suburbs at Forde and Bonner. Last year I moved a motion to require the government to use the Territory Plan to give long-term protection to all areas of high and very high conservation value yellow box/red gum or grassy woodland and all natural temperate woodlands. The minister moved an amendment to the motion requiring that such long-term protection would apply only to "areas of yellow box/red gum grassy woodland and natural temperate grassland that are of sound ecological condition and relatively intact and connected with other similar areas of habitat for threatened species".

Minister, as you would be aware, Mulligans Flat is such an area. Yet, in the variation tabled yesterday it is clear that because development at Forde and Bonner is going ahead, the management of this area will be severely compromised-the fire buffer zone needed next to the suburbs will necessarily mean that the ecological values take a back seat.

Minister, did you or ACTPLA ever seriously consider not proceeding with Forde and Bonner on the basis of the need to protect this high quality area of grassy woodland, with intact, endangered species, connected to similar areas of habitat; and if not, how are the conservation values in fact going to be protected?

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .