Page 613 - Week 02 - Thursday, 16 February 2017
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MS BERRY: Madam Speaker, Boomanulla Oval falls into my portfolio responsibilities. Yes, it has been a long process working with the community on how we can restore Boomanulla Oval. The expressions of interest happened early last year and Active Canberra has been working with Winnunga to work out the best way forward for Boomanulla Oval. It is taking some time, but we want to make sure that we get it right, that the community gets the best benefit out of that oval and, importantly, that it remains as an area of cultural significance to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in the ACT.
MR DOSZPOT: Minister, can you give us an indication of when our community will once again be able to enjoy the use of the Boomanulla Oval?
MS BERRY: Thank you for the question. I really cannot give an indication or a time frame at this stage. There is quite a lot of remedial work that would have to happen at the oval before it could be of any use. However, we are having conversations with Winnunga about how we can best restore that oval and what other uses it might have to benefit the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
Asbestos—worker safety
MR DOSZPOT: My question is to the Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations. Minister, why were no air quality monitoring results received by the asbestos team after February 2016 for any of the sites examined by the Auditor-General?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Mr Doszpot for his question. I was going to respond to some questions I took on notice yesterday. Yesterday I took on notice three questions regarding air quality monitoring in the demolition of loose-fill asbestos contaminated houses. I am advised that air quality monitoring has been conducted for all demolitions that took place in 2016. As to the specifics of whether or not and to whom those reports were provided, I will look into that.
MR DOSZPOT: Minister, will you also guarantee that there will be air monitoring for all future demolitions?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: Mr Wall yesterday also asked a supplementary question as to whether the staged approach to demolition means that air quality monitoring can and should be undertaken on all sites. I am advised that the answer to that question is yes, so I assume that will be the practice.
MR WALL: Minister, how can you be certain that the demolitions where it seems, according the Auditor-General’s report, no air monitoring had been conducted, were in fact safe?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: The government has welcomed the findings of the Auditor-General’s report and the review, and we know that it is important to have clearly documented frameworks, policies and procedures around the regulation of Mr Fluffy demolitions. WorkSafe and other agencies continue to make improvements
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