Page 3803 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 18 October 2005
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Land valuations
MR QUINLAN (Molonglo—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development and Business, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Sport and Recreation, and Minister for Racing and Gaming) (6.02): All I can add in response to that at this point is that I hope Mr Mulcahy handles this question responsibly. Quite clearly you have the potential to create an administrative nightmare, depending on how it is handled and how it is reported. At this point in time I am not aware of an avalanche of valuations having been challenged and then corrected, but that may be because I have not been advised. This comes as a surprise but I suggest it warrants handling with a certain degree of responsibility, if you would be capable of that. There may be statistics showing that a high proportion of people have appealed and got a correction, but that does not necessarily mean that that proportion of valuations would be out. Quite clearly, the people who got a rates bill and went, “Whoops”, are the ones who appealed.
Mr Mulcahy: But it might be that there is a problem.
MR QUINLAN: Yes. I would like to think we can handle that in a sensible manner and that we do not have a total avalanche of appeals. Nobody likes paying rates. Everybody thinks their rates are too high and that their land is overvalued. It is in your hands.
ACT Eden Monaro Cancer Support Group
MR SMYTH (Brindabella—Leader of the Opposition) (6.03): I rise to bring to the attention of members the ACT Eden Monaro Cancer Support Group, which had its sponsors and supporters appreciation dinner on Saturday night at the Hellenic Club. Ms Porter was there. I think she would agree that it was a pretty enjoyable evening. The whole point was for the management committee and members to say thanks for the enormous support and assistance they get from various organisations across the ACT and region in allowing the ACT Eden Monaro Cancer Support Group to function at all.
The group currently has 1,500 members on its books receiving assistance. Of those, 500 would be cancer sufferers. The other 1,000 are the family members who look after them. The books grow by about 20 a month, and they have said there are no holds barred. From testicular cancer through to breast cancer and prostate cancer, everything under the sun comes through their doors. They have to cope with that, and they cope very well.
The sponsors they thanked ranged from a local takeaway in Yass Road to the AFP, local bus companies, golf clubs, biking clubs, banks, individuals, motor companies and organisations of all sorts. There were four major sponsors they paid homage to. The first was the Queanbeyan Leagues Club, which provided the money that allowed the ACT Eden Monaro cancer society to buy a building in Queanbeyan. They now have a permanent presence there, and that certainly helps the organisation greatly.
ActewAGL was on their list of key supporters. Thanks were therefore extended through ActewAGL to the government for its support. Radio 104.7 FM in Canberra promotes all the group’s events. Chris and Sarah from the morning show did a good job as MCs. The group that, in my mind, deserves the biggest praise is the Capital Chemist group. When
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