Page 5136 - Week 12 - Thursday, 27 October 2011
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
… ensure that adequate temporary accommodation is provided to the Megalo Print Studio until permanent accommodation has been provided.”.
I would trust that the government would at least support that, because Megalo’s lease expires in July next year. As the estimates report says, there is no possibility that there would be accommodation in the Kingston arts precinct in July next year. Temporary accommodation is needed for the Megalo print studio regardless of what happens to Mrs Dunne’s motion or my amendments today.
I would also point out that, in terms of looking at timing, there is an excellent chance that whatever decision is made on the DA will be appealed in ACAT. My understanding is that the people who are concerned about the acoustic and heritage issues are very likely to make an appeal. If that happens, there will be another six months added to the government’s process. So one of the reasons for the timing of March 2012 in these amendments is that it simply allows the government to do its job in public consultation. It is not going to add more time to the process because inevitably nothing will be done very quickly due to the fact that the consultation which should have been done at the beginning of this process is not being done, was not done, and we are having to retrofit it on the end.
This is not the ideal motion because this is not the ideal process. We needed consultation at the beginning. We cannot fix the past, unfortunately. But I think what Mrs Dunne and I are trying to do in her motion and my amendments is to do as best we can in the situation that we are in now to fix the situation now. I would have to say that the consultation that has been done so far is some of the most bizarre consultation that has ever been done by this government, when you have a situation where the absolutely main question is off the agenda. I commend my amendments to the Assembly.
MS BURCH (Brindabella—Minister for Community Services, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Women and Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs) (11.20): The government will not be supporting Mrs Dunne’s motion or the amendments moved by Caroline Le Couteur. Let me say from the outset that both the motion and amendments are not in the best interests of Megalo.
I have to refer to Mrs Dunne’s opening comment—true to form, as ungracious as ever—that “Ms Burch has finally arrived”. I was caught up, Mrs Dunne. I was caught up talking with the good staff of care and protection. But what this motion shows is that Mrs Dunne does not care who she tramples on when they see an opportunity for some political point scoring. We saw it last week with the care and protection workers, whose tireless work Mrs Dunne undermined and labelled as wilful neglect. She called workers in care and protection—
Mrs Dunne: On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker, the topic of today’s debate is the arts precinct in Kingston and the planning for it. Now, Ms Burch might be smarting over her performance in this place over the past week or so, but the topic is about the Kingston arts precinct. Comments about care and protection are entirely inappropriate and not relevant to the debate.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video