Dr LIM - 1998-04-28
I ask this question on behalf of Madam Speaker. There has been adverse publicity for the proposed landscaping along the north Stuart Highway in Alice Springs. What is the status of that project, and the response to the concerns expressed by the community?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this is a matter that you, as the member for Braitling, have been very heavily involved with for some time. It is an indication of the importance of the public consultation process to people in Alice Springs. The consultation process, conducted by my department, closed earlier this month, but the debate continues. In fact, when it comes to the north highway landscaping, we have
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received over 100 submissions from the people of Alice Springs. That stands in stark contrast to the 3 submissions only that we received concerning the old Alice Springs jail. It shows what people in Alice Springs believe is important - and growing oleanders presents a very serious problem for them.
Given the obvious level of public interest in this matter, we have decided to formally review the draft strategy plan. This will throw the issue open for further public consultation. An independent, highly-respected firm of landscape architects and urban designers, Cloustons, will visit Alice Springs next week to obtain further public input. The team will be led by Mr Leonard Lynch, the managing director of Cloustons and past president of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects. He will take with him Mr Tony Cox who has 20 years experience in Territory landscape planning. While these people might need to pick up a little local knowledge in Alice Springs, they are eminent people who have been working in this industry for some time. People wishing to meet the review team should do so through the Alice Springs office of the Department of Transport and Works. We will see whether some uniformity of public opinion can be reached on which plants to plant and where they should be planted. Perhaps we will divide it into strips and the 100 submissions will be recognised along the road. We could label them to identify those areas. That may be an acceptable alternative for the people of Alice Springs, with all 100 people getting their way. I have not seen the submissions, but I do not believe that any of the 100 would have anything in common.
That is the process we are going through. I know it is an important issue ...
A member: Open and transparent government ...
Mr COULTER: We have open and transparent government. I know it is a major issue, and I know your particular dislike of oleanders, Madam Speaker. Hopefully, these eminent people will be able to come to an arrangement with the good people of Alice Springs as to what plants should be planted along the road.
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ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this is a matter that you, as the member for Braitling, have been very heavily involved with for some time. It is an indication of the importance of the public consultation process to people in Alice Springs. The consultation process, conducted by my department, closed earlier this month, but the debate continues. In fact, when it comes to the north highway landscaping, we have
Page 212
received over 100 submissions from the people of Alice Springs. That stands in stark contrast to the 3 submissions only that we received concerning the old Alice Springs jail. It shows what people in Alice Springs believe is important - and growing oleanders presents a very serious problem for them.
Given the obvious level of public interest in this matter, we have decided to formally review the draft strategy plan. This will throw the issue open for further public consultation. An independent, highly-respected firm of landscape architects and urban designers, Cloustons, will visit Alice Springs next week to obtain further public input. The team will be led by Mr Leonard Lynch, the managing director of Cloustons and past president of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects. He will take with him Mr Tony Cox who has 20 years experience in Territory landscape planning. While these people might need to pick up a little local knowledge in Alice Springs, they are eminent people who have been working in this industry for some time. People wishing to meet the review team should do so through the Alice Springs office of the Department of Transport and Works. We will see whether some uniformity of public opinion can be reached on which plants to plant and where they should be planted. Perhaps we will divide it into strips and the 100 submissions will be recognised along the road. We could label them to identify those areas. That may be an acceptable alternative for the people of Alice Springs, with all 100 people getting their way. I have not seen the submissions, but I do not believe that any of the 100 would have anything in common.
That is the process we are going through. I know it is an important issue ...
A member: Open and transparent government ...
Mr COULTER: We have open and transparent government. I know it is a major issue, and I know your particular dislike of oleanders, Madam Speaker. Hopefully, these eminent people will be able to come to an arrangement with the good people of Alice Springs as to what plants should be planted along the road.
Page 213
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016