Page 2839 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 19 September 2006
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Leave granted.
DR FOSKEY: This petition, calling for the proposed dragway to be abandoned, was handed over to me at a ceremony on Trevor and Sonja Brogan’s farm, “Gladefield”, in the Majura Valley. People would know that that is the proposed site for the dragway. Trevor and Sonja are very concerned that they will lose that farm and all the work that they have put into it if the proposed dragway goes ahead, work involving replanting and the destruction of an old settlers cottage.
All these signatures were collected over a number of months by residents of the northern suburbs. Hackett, as people would know, is the closest to the site of the dragway. I think that a lot of impetus for signing the petition has been gained over recent months with the meetings about school closures as people have become aware that there are lots of cuts being inflicted on the community but the dragway budget itself is going untouched and there is concern that, in fact, the dragway will cost a lot more than $8 million because the government’s own studies show that that will be the case.
The people who oppose the dragway are of several categories. There are the people who live near the dragway site and oppose it due to loss of amenity and there are probably a growing number of people who are just concerned about money going there when they see other needs for it. I think that, as understanding of the impacts of climate change and oil shortages kicks in, there will be a growing number of people who will oppose it on those grounds.
I do not think it is at all helpful to call people who oppose the dragway for any of those reasons and others elitists simply because they do not get off on motor racing. I think that everyone would understand why anybody who chose to move to a place for certain reasons and then found those reasons challenged and probably compromised and the quality of life they had enjoyed lost would oppose any proposal like that. This is something that we value and encourage in our democratic society. We certainly do not seek to quieten people by calling them names and accusing them of being classist, which I believe has been done recently. So I commend the petition to you, Mr Speaker.
Legal Affairs—Standing Committee
Scrutiny report 32
MR STEFANIAK (Ginninderra—Leader of the Opposition): I present the following report:
Legal Affairs—Standing Committee (performing the duties of a Scrutiny of Bills and Subordinate Legislation Committee)—scrutiny report 32, dated 18 September 2006, together with the relevant minutes of proceedings.
I seek leave to make a brief statement.
Leave granted.
MR STEFANIAK: Scrutiny report 32 contains the committee’s comments on five bills, three pieces of supporting legislation and 10 government responses. The report was
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