Page 882 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 20 March 2012
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MS GALLAGHER: I believe there was some discussion with the Belconnen Community Council about the trial before the trial was finalised. The feedback we have had to date has been that there are mixed views about the trial. We are currently considering the next steps in relation to that. We accept that there are people that are concerned about it. There are also people that are supportive of it. Again, it is probably trying to find a bit of a balance around that.
There needs to be some opportunity provided for the waterskiing community to have access to water, which they do not have at the moment due to other issues from where they were down on Molonglo. Lake Ginninderra had been discussed as a possible alternative in the interim. I accept the feedback we have had in the last few days, particularly from people who are living close to the lake. They have raised concerns about it proceeding. We are just going to continue to monitor that and look at alternatives, if there are any.
MR SPEAKER: Ms Hunter, a supplementary question.
MS HUNTER: Minister, considering that the government has already decided to hold a trial, how do you think you are going to be able to respond to community feedback where community members are against the trial?
MS GALLAGHER: This was one of those things: do you consult about the trial going ahead or do you have a trial and then look at how that has gone? We decided to go with the trial and then look at what people actually felt about that once it was being implemented, and we are getting feedback around that.
The real pressure was to find somewhere for people who wanted to waterski to be able to do their sport, and so this was seen as a viable alternative. The lake was scoped in terms of safety for people who want to waterski and for the craft involved and ultimately I took the decision that we should proceed with a trial and then look at the feedback we got from that. There are mixed views. There are those for it and there are some people who certainly in the last couple of days voiced their strong concerns over it. We need to look at that and try to find a balance.
MS LE COUTEUR: Supplementary question, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Ms Le Couteur.
MS LE COUTEUR: Have the environmental impacts of the trial been anticipated and assessed? If so, how?
MS GALLAGHER: Yes. All of these issues were looked at. One of the requirements of the trial licence condition is that noise levels be monitored to comply with Environment Protection Authority standards. This work has been done across directorates. I can provide members with more information, if they are after it, about the work that was done in the lead-up to the trial, certainly, but my understanding is that it has been looked at with the Water Ski Association, across TAMS and in conjunction with the EPA.
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