Page 1566 - Week 05 - Thursday, 11 May 2006
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I ask that all further questions be placed on the notice paper.
Supplementary answers to questions without notice
Gungahlin Drive extension
MR HARGREAVES: On 4 May, I took on notice a question from Dr Foskey about the plant Swainsona recta, the small purple pea. The Gungahlin Drive extension work is being conducted within a carefully defined corridor that has been identified in consultation with ecologists and other relevant experts. Work or damage to the vegetation is not to occur beyond this defined corridor. The progress of the work is reported and inspected by Environment ACT on a regular basis to ensure compliance. The population of Swainsona recta in south-east Belconnen is well outside the work boundaries and is protected in this way.
I also have a response to the member’s supplementary question. Action plan No 27, the ACT lowland woodland conservation strategy, supersedes nine separate action plans for the yellow box-red gum grassy woodland community, including action plan No 9 for Swainsona recta. The woodland strategy provides an integrated approach to the requirement of the ACT Conservator of Flora and Fauna to prepare action plans for declared threatened species and ecological communities. Action plan No 27 includes the south-east Belconnen population of Swainsona recta at appendix 1.2 on page 105. The superseded individual action plans have been retained on the Environment ACT web site as they still contain relevant information on the species or communities.
Environment—pine plantings
MR HARGREAVES: On 10 May, I took on notice a question from Mrs Dunne in relation to pine plantings in the lower Cotter catchment. The original commitment to replant pine plantations in the lower Cotter catchment was not wrong-headed. The commitment to plant pines in the first instance was based on advice obtained at that time and predicated around the preservation of water quality and maintaining soil and landscape stability. However, the emergence of stronger than expected vegetation regeneration has meant that the artificial and highly interventionist approach of planting pines is no longer required. I think I indicated that in the substance of my answer. The amount spent on the purchase and planting of pines in the lower Cotter catchment in 2005-06 was around $100,000, which would be about one per cent of the $8.9 million.
Personal explanation
MR SMYTH (Brindabella—Leader of the Opposition): Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation under standing order 46.
MR SPEAKER: Do you claim to have been misrepresented, Mr Smyth?
MR SMYTH: Yes. Yesterday, in the debate on Mr Mulcahy’s excellent motion, I stated that the Follett government had signed up to the uniform presentation framework in May 1991. It has been brought to my attention that the Alliance government was still in operation at that stage, so it would have been Trevor Kaine. I just thought I would correct that in the Assembly.
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