Page 1947 - Week 07 - Thursday, 13 August 2020
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Parking—Cooleman Court
MS LE COUTEUR: My question is to the Minister for Roads and Active Travel, and Minister for City Services. It relates to the proposed car park at Cooleman Court. Minister, why has the government issued a request for tender for construction of the new temporary car park and associated works adjacent to Cooleman Court when, to the best of the community’s knowledge, the DA has not even been approved?
MR STEEL: I thank the member for her question. The construction tender for a temporary car park at Cooleman Court was released on Tuesday, 11 August. On page 6 of the request for tender documentation it says that works are currently subject to a development application process which is expected to be concluded before the award of this contract. If the DA is not approved then the works will not proceed, and the contract will not be awarded.
The construction tender has been released ahead of DA approval so that, should the DA be approved, this project will be shovel ready. I can also advise the Assembly that we updated the original design for the car park, following community feedback at the beginning of this year, and through the concerns raised through the development application process. A key change in response to the feedback has been that we will be retaining an additional three trees that were originally marked for removal. The revised designs will see 63 parking spaces and the retention of 18 trees, with the removal of only one tree, to be offset by the planting of 11 trees, which are intended to be permanent on site, despite the development of a future community facility on that block.
MS LE COUTEUR: Minister, I have been told about this tender by a number of people. The community sees this as a clear sign that the car park is going ahead, regardless of any processes.
MADAM SPEAKER: To the question, Ms Le Couteur.
MS LE COUTEUR: Minister, can you assure the community that the normal DA processes will happen and that it will not be called in?
MR STEEL: I thank the member for her question. We have an independent planning authority that is assessing this matter at the moment, and I look forward to hearing its decision.
MR HANSON: I have a supplementary question. Minister, will you commit to stopping or preventing any works on this site prior to the election on 17 October?
MR STEEL: This matter is subject to the approval of the independent planning authority. I do not have any influence over the timing of their independent decision.
Business—fair trading
MS LAWDER: My question is to the Minister for Business and Regulatory Services regarding ACT Fair Trading. Well over a year ago, an ACT Fair Trading
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