Page 1001 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 26 July 1989
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great vision for Canberra - a new vision. We have had two visions for Canberra. The Y plan might be getting out of date, but let us not dismiss it until we have a new vision for Canberra.
MR SPEAKER: Members, the facility for extension of time is not to be misused. It is there for use in extenuating circumstances only, and members are requested to time their speeches correctly.
MR JENSEN (4.49), in reply: Mr Speaker, I will not take up much more time of the house. It is unfortunate that this matter has taken so long to come on to the floor of the house, but that is the process of the business. I think we have now some organisation which will ensure that this process is streamlined a little further.
I welcome the assurance of the Chief Minister that she has undertaken to have the draft legislation prepared and put to the planning committee by October this year. This achieves the result that the Rally was seeking by putting forward this motion today. However, it was proposed an amendment was to be put, which would have achieved what the Chief Minister indicated she would do. Clearly the Government is opposing this motion because it is embarrassed by the fact that the Residents Rally has taken the initiative in seeking to ensure that this very important matter about the future planning and development of our city is put into the appropriate area.
My colleague Mr Moore has referred to some of the problems associated with the two major urban areas in Australia - Melbourne and Sydney. I think it is important, Mr Speaker, that, as Justice Kelly has said, enough is enough in relation to the overdevelopment of the city. It is not necessary for us to have this sort of overdevelopment in a planned environment such as we have here in Canberra.
It is one of the key things, Mr Speaker, that has been said in relation to Canberra by many people who have come here. It is one of the reasons why people come from all over Australia and the world to see this city. It is a planned city that works. That is the difference, Mr Speaker, between it and some of the other planned cities around the world. It is one of the few that work.
We have an opportunity to ensure that we do not make the mistakes that were made in the other cities. I know and appreciate that there are a lot of historical factors in relation to the development of Sydney and Melbourne, but we have a perfect opportunity to ensure that we do not have them here. We have a sacred trust, as I have said before, Mr Speaker, to ensure that that does not happen.
In closing, I say that while the Rally welcomes the assurances given by the Chief Minister, we will be ensuring that the timetable that she has set for the drafting is followed.
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