Mr J R FRASER ser asked the Minister for the Interior, upon notice -

1.   What was the cost of providing (a) water supply and (b) sewerage to the forestry settlement village at Uriarra?

2.   What is the population of the settlement at Uriarra?

3.   What is the school enrolment?

4.   What is the population of the village of Hall?

5.   What is the school enrolment?

6.   Is Hall still without either water supply or sewerage?

7.   Is Hall the centre of a considerable farming district?

8.   Is Uriarra the village centre for any farming district?

9.   Was Uriarra provided with water supply and sewerage simply because it is within the Australian Capital Territory, or were there special reasons which do not apply to the village of Hall?

Mr Fairhall - The answers to the honorable member's questions are as follows: - 1. (a) £6,200. (b) £17,000, including the cost of house connexions and of the system of septic tanks.

2.   118.

3.   10.

4.   118 by the 19S4 census.

5.   32.

6.   Yes.

7.   It would be misleading to describe the village of Hall as the centre of a considerable farming district. The village adjoins the northern boundary of the Australian Capital Territory, and although certain facilities are available such as a small store, a postal agency and a school, it is apparent that the farmers of the surrounding district regard Canberra or Queanbeyan as their centre for supplies and services.

8.   No.

9.   Uriarra forestry settlement, which provides accommodation for employees engaged on Commonwealth forestry work, adjoins a large pine forest. The need for a water supply for fire fighting as a protection for both the settlement and the forest, and the difficulties experienced in the carriage of water to the settlement over a long and steep road, were important factors in deciding to provide a piped water supply to the settlement. The installation of a sewerage system at Uriarra, which is a small compact settlement, unlike the village of Hall, where the houses are well scattered over a fairly large area, followed an investigation by the health authorities of complaints of nuisances caused by sullage disposal, but difficulties in the operation of the sanitary services generally and the proximity of the settlement to the Cotter River water supply catchment area were also taken into consideration before deciding on the installation.