Page 4878 - Week 13 - Thursday, 2 November 2017
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In relation to Dickson land sales and acquisitions, in September of 2012 cabinet approved block 20 section 34 at Dickson—the car park between Woolworths and the Dickson Tradies—to be put to the market via a request for tender as a future development site. Two submissions were received in response. The then Economic Development Directorate negotiated with the highest bidder—the Canberra Tradesmen’s Union Club Ltd—and reached agreement on a final transaction that included the following elements: the Canberra Tradesmen’s Union Club would acquire block 20 section 34 for $3.498 million; the ACT government would acquire block 25 section 72 in Dickson and block 6 section 72 in Dickson for a total price of $3.955 million; the ACT government would pay the net difference between these transaction amounts.
The decision to proceed with the transaction was made by the then Director-General of the Economic Development Directorate and the transaction was completed by the LDA. To ensure public car parking remained available during the development of the proposed new Coles supermarket on the other side of Woolworths in Dickson, the directorate and the Tradesmen’s Union Club agreed to defer settlement of block 20 section 34 until the Coles development was completed. The parties also agreed that the occupant of block 6 section 72 could remain in place for a peppercorn rent period of 40 months in light of that settlement being deferred.
The land has been acquired by government to address housing affordability and homelessness. Section 72 will be the site for Common Ground 2, an innovative way to help homeless Canberrans access dignified and supportive long-term accommodation, as well as new public housing.
In relation to poker machines, the Labor Club is an independent organisation owned and controlled by its members. ACT Labor declares all donations and financial support in accordance—
Opposition members interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Members of the opposition, your leader was heard in peace. This is a serious debate; give it the regard it requires. Chief Minister.
MR BARR: Thank you, Madam Speaker. ACT Labor declares all donations and financial support in accordance with the territory’s stringent and transparent electoral laws. ACT Labor has not received any donations from the club since 2013. The government is working to reduce the number of poker machines across the territory and the harm they cause. The parliamentary agreement commits the government to reduce poker machine licences by almost 1,000 to 4,000 by 2020. We will be releasing legislation in the near future that outlines the mechanism to achieve this important goal, a goal that can hardly be considered to be giving favourable or preferential treatment to large club groups, including the Labor Club.
ACT Labor’s former headquarters at 21 Torrens Street in Braddon is now the site of a residential development. No lease variation charge was paid for this project for the simple reason that the development did not require a variation to the site’s existing
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