Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

In fact, I heard part of Mr Collins's observations yesterday afternoon myself. I indicated at the time that, in contrast to those opposite and the approach they took to an issue like this some years ago, at Cultana in South Australia, where, six months before they decided to compulsorily acquire land, they published an advertisement in the local paper indicating to landowners that that would be the case, the Department of Defence on this occasion took the approach of communicating with local landholders, corresponding with them by mail and holding 76 meetings with 186 or so landowners and businesspeople during the period after the signing of the memorandum of agreement with Singapore, which was an entirely appropriate thing to do. It could hardly be dealt with before the signing of the memorandum of agreement with Singapore.