Page 1654 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 2 June 2021
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ensure that those expectations are met. I do not see the role of government as being that to twist the arms of certain retailers to provide certain services in certain locations. I believe we can incentivise where corporations and the market fail to meet community needs.
The Chief Minister acknowledged, as he read out the remarks of Minister Berry, that the SLA can be directed to go about the work of selling land in ways that foster good outcomes. That is a good thing. Once we have built on all the available land in the town centre, it is too late for a generation. It is not too late forever, but it is too late for a generation. Town centres are always changing, but there is a certain inertia that exists until buildings reach end of life.
Despite all of this, I am still very confident that Gungahlin town centre will grow into the vibrant centre that residents want it to be. I look forward to the community discussion that we are having right now continuing and I look forward to Gungahlin residents soon enjoying their town centre.
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Manager of Government Business, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Industrial Relations and Workplace Safety, Minister for Planning and Land Management and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (5.26): I thank Mr Braddock for persisting with this motion. Community consultation is an important feature of the ACT’s planning system and we will continue to speak with the community about planning for Gungahlin. We will listen to the community council, but I would also like to hear from members of the community that are not necessarily represented on the council.
I am looking forward to seeing the outcome of the standing committee’s inquiry into draft variation 364. This builds on the consultation process undertaken for the Gungahlin town centre planning refresh and a statutory consultation that informed the draft territory plan variation.
I know, and the government knows, that planning decisions are always a tricky balance between delivering for the community that is currently in place and delivering for new people in our growing territory who have not settled in an area. We want to build homes close to shops, services and major public transport routes.
Gungahlin is not the only town centre with increasing amounts of residential development. Belconnen, Woden and Tuggeranong have seen more and more people choosing to call town centres their home.
Madam Speaker, in a previous life, I was a real estate agent helping people find their first home or their new home in Gungahlin. I am enormously proud that I am able to continue to help people find a home in Gungahlin.
MR BRADDOCK (Yerrabi) (5.27): I thank all members for their contributions. Whilst there has been a lot of hot air directed at me in the process, I draw the Assembly’s attention back to the substantive question and what it achieves for Gungahlin residents. That includes no reduction in land zoned for community facilities or commercial use, genuine consultation on the future of the Gungahlin town
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