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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 02 Hansard (Wednesday, 3 March 2004) . . Page.. 697 ..

principle and have an exclusion zone, because if you have cat enclosures and then find that they are not working you cannot then easily implement exclusion zones. If you have exclusion zones and then eventually decide that they are not necessary and that cat enclosures will do, you can go that way, but it is very hard to go the other way, because people are already there and might already have their cats. Then you would be making an imposition upon them.

This is policy making on the run and we have got into a flap about this. It seems that the only outcome that we want is a result and that it does not matter what the result is. I beg members to reconsider this so that in the end, whether it is today, next week or in May, we have a public policy outcome that works for the people of the ACT. I commend my amendments to the house.

Question put:

That Mrs Dunne’s amendments be agreed to.

The Assembly voted—

Question so resolved in the negative.

Amendments negatived.

MR STANHOPE (Chief Minister, Attorney-General, Minister for Environment and Minister for Community Affairs) (6.02): I move:

“(2) (a) ensure that cats are permanently confined to premises, either indoors, or if outdoors, in cat runs (enclosures) or by appropriate fencing, in the new suburbs of Forde and Bonner;”.

I have spoken to the issue and I feel no need to speak further.

MS TUCKER (6.02): As an amendment to Mr Stanhope’s amendment, I move:

Omit the words “or by appropriate fencing”.

Just to explain, I seek to remove the words “or by appropriate fencing” from Mr Stanhope’s amendment. I think that that would be really quite difficult. Acceptable fencing or appropriate fencing may be referring to something like metal bond fencing, which would be totally useless and just would not work in these suburbs. Issues would include gates left open, trees in backyards et cetera. If it is about courtyards, we would face the same issues with trellis and other objects for cats to climb up on. It is just too big a risk. The whole point is that these suburbs have been put right next to this important

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