Mark Butler (Port Adelaide, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works I present the 71st annual report and the second, third and fourth reports for 2008 of the committee relating to HMAS Creswell redevelopment, Jervis Bay Territory; Land Engineering Agency Test Services relocation, Monegeetta, Victoria; and Refurbishment of staff apartments, Australian Embassy complex, Tokyo, Japan.

Ordered that the reports be made parliamentary papers.

by leave—Report 1 of 2008 is the 71st annual report of the Public Works Committee. Under the Public Works Committee Act 1969, the Public Works Committee is required to table a report of its activities within 15 sitting days after the year ending 31 December. This report covers the activities of the PWC of the 41st Parliament during 2007. The Public Works Committee of this parliament felt unable to comment in any substantial nature on the works of its predecessor, so this report fulfils its obligations under the act but does not offer any detailed commentary of the activity of that committee.

Likewise, reports 2, 3 and 4 are reports of inquiries that were finalised by the PWC of the 41st Parliament. These reports relate to the referrals detailed in the motion just passed by the House. These referrals were originally made to the PWC of the 41st Parliament in the first half of 2007. The committee had finalised and adopted its report into each inquiry but had not tabled the reports due to the dissolution of the 41st Parliament. Proponent agencies for each work have assured the committee that there are no changes to the proposed works. Taking this into consideration, the PWC of the 42nd parliament did not wish to delay the progression of these works any further; so, rather than undertake the inquiries again or spend time writing its own report, it has adopted the reports as adopted by the PWC of the 41st Parliament. While these reports bear the name of the PWC of the 42nd Parliament, they are entirely the work of the PWC of the 41st Parliament.

I would like to thank the PWC of the 41st Parliament for all of its work in relation to these inquiries. In particular, I would like to thank the former chair of the committee, the Hon Judy Moylan MP, for her work. I commend the reports to the House.