Page 2727 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 16 August 2005
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MR CORBELL: The provision of indoor recreation facilities is important for the Gungahlin region. That is why the government has committed to the progressing of the necessary planning work and land release work that are needed to ensure that the site is made available for a private sector operator for an indoor pool and other facilities. I can only reiterate to Mr Seselja that the provision of a site is a priority. Obviously, we don’t want to provide a site which is unsuitable.
I have already taken on notice whether or not the site has been deemed unsuitable. I can reiterate the government’s commitment to ensuring that there is a site which is available for such facilities in the Gungahlin area.
Disaster planning
MR STEFANIAK: My question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, why has it taken so long for you to complete a proper evacuation plan for the ACT in the event of a natural disaster or terrorist attack when it has been four years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, almost four years since the December 2001 bushfires, 2½ years since the 2003 bushfire disaster and two years since the Bali bombings?
MR STANHOPE: I thank Mr Stefaniak for the question. I am advised, in fact by Commissioner Peter Dunn, the commissioner for the Emergency Services Authority, that the ACT has the most advanced evacuation procedures and processes in place of any jurisdiction in Australia, bar none. The advice I have from Commissioner Dunn is that we are the only jurisdiction that has in place a disaster response plan or an evacuation plan that gives us the capacity to respond to both natural and man-made—in other words, terrorist—actions within the jurisdiction. We are, indeed, the only jurisdiction in Australia that has entered into memorandums of understanding with all the media represented in the ACT, both public and commercial media, in relation to aspects of the plan, particularly around evacuation.
The detail of the evacuation or disaster response plans that we have is, in fact, of an order that is not in place anywhere else in Australia. I commend the Emergency Services Authority and Commissioner Dunn for the state of preparedness and preparation that we have within the territory in relation to these issues.
MR STEFANIAK: Thank you, Chief Minister. Given that we seem to have a plan, will you table that plan so that the Assembly can see it?
MR STANHOPE: I will take advice from the minister for emergency services. It might not have occurred to the shadow attorney that I am not the relevant minister. I am more than happy to take advice from the minister in relation to that. We will, of course, provide all the information that we have available and that is appropriate for us to table in relation to the issue. I thank the shadow attorney for his very belated interest in the subject.
Economy—employment
MS MacDONALD: My question is directed to the minister for business and economic development. I understand that a recent Australian Business Limited report has revealed
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