Page 562 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 14 March 2007
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
space occupied is now needed for school programs under the schools revitalisation program.
I want to assure Dr Foskey, the Assembly and the community that the government is following a rigorous process to ensure that the possible use options for all former school sites or any other surplus government property are properly evaluated before the government comes to any decision about what to do with them. I do not know how many times I have to say, either in this place or in the public arena, that there is a process in place for this evaluation. The community will be consulted in relation to each of the sites. We have to do a condition audit on the whole lot. It may very well be that when one looks at the fabric of a building—and I gave an example of this in respect of a former preschool—it will be found to be not fit for habitation by other people and should be removed.
It may be that when we talk to people on the list we will find that their physical needs cannot be accommodated in the short term and that there would need to be some adjustment of the space contained within a building. It may be—and I will almost guarantee this, Mr Deputy Speaker—that, in any event, some of the infrastructure in schools will need to be adjusted to take these community groups. For example, some of the toilet facilities in primary schools and preschools will have to be taken out and others put in to accommodate an adult population in these buildings. So it is not so straightforward that we can just say, “Yes, anybody can go in. We will take just any community group.”
Mr Deputy Speaker, I take umbrage at the suggestion that we have not been talking to the community at all. Some groups in the Flynn community have had something to say about the closure of the Flynn primary school, and Mrs Dunne may be able to assist in the process. There is the group of people who challenged the closure of the school, as is their right, and I am not going to say they should not have done that. I have had conversations with the John Flynn Association. A gentleman from the Flynn P&C came into my office and we developed together six or seven different options for a community use for the Flynn primary school which would benefit the people in Flynn. I put them in touch with the property group, which is processing options with them.
So, Mr Deputy Speaker, are we talking to the community? Yes. Will we be taking any precipitous decisions? No. Am I going to be rushed into doing anything because a person with 12 per cent of one electorate decides to try and push the government into a hasty decision? No. Mr Deputy Speaker, I have moved an amendment to the motion which I believe describes the situation a little bit better. I commend the amendment and, if it is accepted, I commend the amended motion to the Assembly.
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (4.46): I thank Dr Foskey for bringing this matter to the Assembly’s attention, because it is a matter which is of considerable concern and interest out in the community. I listened very carefully to what the minister had to say about the process and all of the things that were going on, and I am heartened by what he said—as long as he did not have his fingers crossed behind his back at the time.
I am heartened especially about what he said about Flynn primary school. That was one of the things that I was going to ask him about. I would ask him to clarify
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .