Page 4074 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 26 November 2014
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
MS LAWDER: Minister, what research or studies have been done to examine the possibility of a new tank for the Tharwa area?
MR GENTLEMAN: Those studies are underway as we speak. As I mentioned, EPD officials are talking with Mr Jeffery and other residents of Tharwa and inspecting the tank.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mr Wall.
MR WALL: Minister, will the residents of Tharwa be connected to town water, given that they are ratepayers, like every other resident in the ACT?
MR GENTLEMAN: That is a consideration that needs to be looked at in more detail. It would be quite an expensive exercise to connect town water to some 26 residences there. Nevertheless, it is certainly something that could be investigated, and we will balance the value with whether or not we can supply the water in another way.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mr Wall.
MR WALL: Minister, as opposed to connecting to town water, what are the other supply options for Tharwa into the future?
MR GENTLEMAN: A very large river runs directly past Tharwa, and we are working to ensure that the current supply from that river can continue to occur. The water is quite good from the river; not a lot of treatment needs to occur for the current uses. I suggest that perhaps further work can be done on the storage area, and that is what we are looking into.
Budget—deficit
MR SMYTH: My question is to the Treasurer. Treasurer, in the recently released September consolidated financial report, the net debt of the GGS, excluding superannuation investments, as at 30 September 2014 was $526.4 million, a 66 per cent increase or $213.7 million, from the 30 June 2014 result of $312 million. Minister, what is the reason for this increase?
MR BARR: Principally it would be the drawdown for the territory’s infrastructure program, but there may be some other factors around the timing of particular payments that would have some impact on that. It is always useful to look at the yearly results rather than quarterly ones, as the variation from one quarter to the next can be significant.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary, Mr Smyth.
MR SMYTH: Treasurer, can you list the additional borrowings that have increased the net debt?
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video