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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 09 Hansard (Thursday, 19 August 2004) . . Page.. 3946 ..

Mr Stefaniak: You had one before.

MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Stefaniak! I will warn you if you keep that up.

MR QUINLAN: So you’ve got to tell those people where you’re going to put it and give them the full case of the amount of the noise impact that will occur.

Mr Pratt: On a point of order: perhaps you wouldn’t have to ask Mr Stefaniak to stop interjecting if the member was addressing, per standing order 40, his remarks through the chair.

MR SPEAKER: Thanks, Mr Pratt. Direct your comments through the chair. Mr Quinlan.

MR QUINLAN: Certainly, Mr Speaker. My humble apologies, sir. But through you, Mr Speaker, I have challenged Mr Stefaniak to nail his colours to the mast; otherwise you’re just going through the same ritual you went through with the hush money you paid in 2001, Mr Stefaniak.

As far as the government is concerned, it does believe that motor sport enthusiasts do have rights to enjoy their sport, as do rugger-buggers and other sporting enthusiasts. However, we have to accept that the facilities and the meets do have environmental problems. Let me say now: this government stands ready; we have $8 million in the budget. If I can’t commit that beyond a dragway, we’ll be certainly open to discussions with motor sport.

The government has, through time, through various grants, invested money in motor sport and in Fairbairn Park along the way, and we will continue to do so. As I think you even acknowledged, I’m working to try to make sure that the leases become longer-term leases so that various clubs can invest, secure in the knowledge that they won’t lose their facility at a later date.

There’s not a whole lot more I really want to say, other than to refer back to Mr Stefaniak’s quote from a Mr Maddock writing to the paper. He is a regular contributor to the letters to the editor, our Mr Maddock. Mr Maddock of Jerrabomberra, New South Wales, is a regular contributor to the paper. Why Mr Maddock isn’t hammering the Queanbeyan City Council or the Yarrowlumla Shire Council for a dragway facility, I don’t know. He doesn’t live in the ACT but he is a regular critic of this government and quite obviously a dragway fan. That doesn’t mean that every dragway fan comes from New South Wales. I just happen to have a stepson that gives me a verbal punch up regarding the dragway every now and then.

I will say that, if a block of land that is suitable by all aspects, by all measures, for a dragway is available, then this government is prepared to put $8 million into the establishment of that dragway tomorrow. Bill, you can’t ignore them; you can’t go out there and say, “We’ll build a dragway at Majura,” when the facts may be that there are Australian noise standards that would preclude your doing that. That’s the situation you may find yourself in. That’s why I’m laying down the challenge to you: go outside; tell

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