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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 07 Hansard (Tuesday, 29 June 2004) . . Page.. 2889 ..

MS TUCKER (3.49): I would like to respond. I do not think the printed version that has been circulated is as full as what Mr Wood has said—I think he might have said more. I want to make a couple of comments. Mr Wood concluded by saying that the process of the Griffin Centre’s redevelopment and allocation of community space represents a vision for the future. I really cannot agree with that because, in the same speech, Mr Wood said, “We are looking at accommodation for Directions ACT.”

If any member of this Assembly has visited Directions ACT and seen the conditions in which the people are required to work and the conditions the people receiving support are required to put up with, then I think they would be well aware that it is absolutely unacceptable—and it is obvious that it has been unacceptable for a number of years. It really is insulting, in a way, to hear Mr Wood say that this is a vision for the future when, in the same speech, he says, “We’re looking at finding a place for Directions ACT”—as if this is something that has just come up.

Mr Wood: Give us a few sites, and we will be grateful!

MS TUCKER: Mr Wood is asking me to give him a few sites. The site that we had—

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Hargreaves): Order! Ms Tucker has the floor. Minister, please.

MS TUCKER (3.49): The point I am trying to make is that we had an opportunity and we had a site. When this whole redevelopment was first mooted the Greens said—the community said—“Can we have a picture of unmet need in the community sector? Can we have a projection of what the need will be? Can we see what the needs in Civic are now—and projected needs into the future—so we know what we need in this redevelopment?” But no. The government said to us, “We will just prepare these briefs. We will get the existing tenants to respond. We don’t want to look more broadly. Don’t you worry about that.” That is the point I want to make—that we did have an opportunity.

We know that these services are difficult to accommodate. We know people do not want these slightly messy people next door to them. That is not news; it is obvious. When we were planning this whole development we were asking that these sorts of services be taken into account. We had the perfect opportunity and we have missed it. I think this speech today absolutely demonstrates that.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Supplementary answer to question without notice

Gungahlin Drive extension

MR WOOD: I can give some detail in answer to a question earlier today from Ms Tucker about RSPCA people at the GDE site. There are ecologists who identify and mark potential habitat trees in advance of tree felling. They are there for that purpose, as well as to inspect felled trees for evidence of activity of an animal kind. Generally at least one ecologist is on the site from 8.00 am until the end of felling operations—usually about 4.30 pm or later. To date, one possum and one bat have been found in

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