Mr DEAN ( Windermere ) - I will make a quite brief contribution. This reminds me a bit of the Devonport Police Station. In the early 1990s, it was determined that the police station that the police were operating from at that stage was being outgrown by staff, and there was a review of the condition of the building and everything else. There was an option given about that time - I was there at the time - to purchase the building next door that bordered the same lane as the police building. There was a lot of talk about it at the time and the decision was made, 'No, we don't need it now'. That really was an unfortunate decision because now, if that site was owned by the police department or the Government, there would have been the opportunity to have developed that building across onto that site as well. We now know that they are spending a lot of money on the Devonport Police Station. It is one that is being renovated for about the twentieth time. I think about that when I look at this motion of the member for Launceston.

Could that happen here? I suspect it could. When you look into the future, will we need another site right next to this building to develop onto? I think about that.

Mr Aird - Just by interjection, the honourable member for Launceston did say that it didn't relate to the PABX building; it related to the site. Conceptually that could be a site for the car park or could exist outside the back door of the kitchen or as part of the brown 1979 annexe. Once you say you don't need the PABX building, you can take that concept of space and place it anywhere. I don't know if that has enough space. It doesn't relate to the building, it relates to the opportunity to develop the right facilities for Parliament and I agree with that.

Mr Wing - At all times in the future.

Mr Aird - You do your best to plan for the future, don't you?

Mr DEAN - The other issue that I address my mind to is, should the Government have control over everything that is around this building currently, and I believe they should. I believe they ought to be able to control that. Once this building is sold they cannot do that and it becomes a matter for the Hobart City Council to determine what should happen there and any changes that might occur to that building.

Mr Aird - It is the Sullivans Cove Planning Authority.

Mr DEAN - That is right, it does form part of that, so it becomes that authority that would make any determinations in relation to that site into the future. This would be a short-term gain for the Government financially and I wonder whether at the end of the day it is worth all of that to see that property to go to a private developer or entrepreneur.

I am uncomfortable with it. I am still not quite sure what I should be doing, whether I should be supporting this motion or not. The argument put forward is quite a reasonable argument. I am confused so the Minister for Human Services may well be able to speak on this item and may be able to sway my view.

Mr Aird - You can always adjourn the debate until next year.

Mr Wing - And let it be sold in the meantime.

Mr Aird - Well, it's going to be anyway. Quite frankly, I don't want to be rude, but it will be. It's pretty well down the track anyhow. That's why I'm pretty relaxed.

Mr DEAN - I did ask the honourable member for Launceston a moment ago, would it be worth our while going right through and having a good look over the site. I have been over the site -

Mr Aird - Do you want to have a look?

Mr DEAN - but it was some time ago now and I am just wondering whether or not that would help.

Mr Aird - I did offer for people to go through there.

Mr DEAN - I believe that would be useful, for me to get a better understanding of the whole area of that site.

Mr Aird - It's quite fascinating. If you want to, I'll organise it. Does any other member want to go through?

Mr DEAN - I am not sure where the member for Launceston would see that because this occurred to me last week and I was not impressed with the way it occurred as I made it very clear to everybody in relation to a motion I moved. I am a little wary as to whether or not it would serve the purposes of the member for Launceston if I did seek a deferment of this matter for the purposes of having an on-site investigation.

Mr Wing - We could probably do that between 4 p.m. and 4.30 p.m. because the Treasurer said it could be sold by next year.

Mr DEAN - Is it possible?

Mr Aird - There are some occupational health and safety issues so there would need to be preparation - the hard hats -

Mr Parkinson - Radioactive-proof suits.

Mr DEAN - There is no chance, if the matter were deferred, that we could have a government undertaking to come back to it on Thursday to finalise the issue?

Mr Wing - I would be agreeable to that if that's sought.

Mr DEAN - Is that a possibility, honourable Leader?

Mr Aird - To be quite frank, I don't know if I can organise it in the short period of time. I could try.

Mr DEAN - Could we be given that undertaking, Leader, to come back to this matter? Obviously, it would not be a long matter.

Mr Wing - It's only a matter of looking at the site.

Mr DEAN - Yes, that is right, looking at the site and then it is a matter of the member for Launceston closing the debate after that.

Ms Forrest - Through you, Madam President - couldn't we have taken this opportunity to look at the site any time? We only have to walk around the corner, don't we?

Mr Wing - We could do it at four o'clock.

Madam PRESIDENT - Order. I think the Treasurer made it quite clear that if you want to go internally there are occupational health and safety issues that will require staff to come in, spend time to make it safe or whatever. Are you talking about an external view or an internal view; perhaps that is the first question to ask.

Mr Aird - I am happy to take you over there and have an on-site discussion about it, if you want to do that.

Mr DEAN - I think an external inspection of it would serve the right purpose because really we only want to know more about it and the location of it, I think. I do not think the internal parts would worry us too much at all.

Madam PRESIDENT - If you want to keep talking you will get to the four o'clock break and then you will not have to do anything but keep talking.

Mr DEAN - Yes.

Ms Forrest - Talk about what you hope to achieve by looking at the site.

Mr DEAN - I believe that it would be beneficial to us because we know where the site is, some of us have been to the site. I have been inside and looked around the building and it is not a great building. It does not inspire you tremendously when you walk through it - I agree with all of that - but I think to understand a bit more of its location in relation to this complex is worthy of our understanding.

I have some concerns in relation to whether or not it is really required by the Parliament as a part of the building in the future. Can somebody interrupt me?

Mrs Rattray-Wagner - Do you have a pair of steel-capped boots?

Mr DEAN - I have steel-capped boots but I probably will not need those if I am going to walk around this building externally.

Mr Wing - Talk about the police building in Devonport. What were the circumstances?

Mr DEAN - That was interesting and I think members would be aware that that building is old. It would be about 40 to 50 years of age. It has been renovated on many occasions and it still does not meet the requirements of modern-day policing. Funding has been made available. As I understand it, it is in the strategic plans stage moving forward -

Mrs Rattray-Wagner - Neither does the St Helens station meet the modern-day policing requirements. That definitely needs an upgrade. I have looked over that facility.


Sitting suspended from 4 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.


Mr DEAN - We have had a look at the building and the building is still there; it is still the PABX building. There is a fair amount of land around the site that can be developed. As part of the sale the Government would lease back the building for the requirements of the Government and Parliament in the future. I am almost persuaded to a position of not being able to support the first part of the motion but I would like to listen to other speakers and the member for Launceston when he closes the debate to see where I go to from there. I am pleased that I did go and have a look at the site so that I know a little bit more about it than I did prior to the suspension.