Page 2812 - Week 07 - Thursday, 7 June 2012
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But I do not think it was a case of buyer beware, because there was nothing purchased; it was simply a transfer. And if you do not believe that the federal government of the day had the whip hand and just did not give us what they wanted and kept what they wanted, you are fooling yourself. The federal government really need to look at what they have done in the transfer of assets to the ACT, particularly in regard to asbestos. But the ACT government needs to do its part as well.
It is time that we certainly looked at asbestos. I would bring back to members’ attention the sheep dip site, the work that was done largely through my department at the time, the old urban services department, where we responded to community concerns. Where we had that information, we went back and did the work. We found the sheep dip sites and we alerted people to what it was that they were purchasing, either a block that was near to contamination or had been contaminated or where they were living. So there is a good model for this. It is an issue that needs to be taken seriously. You only have to look at the disaster that the Molonglo ponds have been for this government, where the deeper the dig the more they dig themselves into the mess that they have created. It is certainly not benefiting the people of the ACT to have this going on.
Recommendation 7 looks at the issue of low cost accommodation, particularly for tourists, and suggests the government might want to reassess some of the locations. This is what comes about when you do not have a plan for accommodation but have a list of sites and say, “There is our plan.” You are fooling yourself if you think it is a plan. A plan is an analysis of what is required, where it is required and the time frame in which it is required. So the government might want to look at recommendation 7.
The last one that I will mention is recommendation 10. The committee recommends that as further developments arise with regard to the viability of ACTTAB Ltd the minister should make a statement informing the ACT Legislative Assembly. I think we are all quite aware that the gaming industry, particularly the totalisator industry, is under a great deal of change. We have an ACT asset called ACTTAB. The value of that is diminishing as the market changes. Should the government be doing anything about that, it is important for the minister to come forward and tell the Assembly of how it is happening. That said, I commend the report to the Assembly.
Report 24
MS LE COUTEUR (Molonglo) (11.25): I present the following report:
Public Accounts—Standing Committee—Report 24—Inquiry into the Gaming Machine Amendment Bill 2011, dated 4 June 2012, including dissenting comments (Ms Le Couteur), together with a copy of the extracts of the relevant minutes of proceedings.
I move:
That the report be noted.
I am very pleased to present this report of the Public Accounts Committee into the Gaming Machine Amendment Bill 2011. The committee has carefully considered the
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