Page 951 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 26 July 1989
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This leads me to another important requirement which must be included in the legislation that this motion seeks to establish. I refer of course to the establishment of an appropriate appeals tribunal. Whilst public consultation is important, there is also a responsibility to ensure the rights of all groups involved with the planning process, whether individuals who feel that their environment and peace and enjoyment provided under the conditions of their lease are threatened, or the developer or owner who feels the need to appeal against the decision made against them. The Rally seeks to ensure that this appeal body provides an opportunity for those affected by the decision to have a say. There must be no more Murray Crescent or Barton demolitions or deals done with developments without some opportunity for an appeal.
The reference of all these matters to the standing committee will ensure that ample consideration is given to planning issues and all elements of the community can participate in the development of laws that will plan the future of the man-made and natural environment in which we live - "people-made" probably would be appropriate, I would suggest, in the current environment.
Ms Follett: No, man-made is fine.
MR JENSEN: "Man-made" is okay; thank you, Chief Minister. In view of the commitment to good planning espoused by the Government during the election campaign, it is perhaps a little surprising that it is the Rally which has had to refer this matter to the Planning, Development and Infra-structure Committee. Perhaps it was due to our inexperience when the Government established the committee system in the early days of the Assembly that we did not ensure that this and similar matters should have been automatically referred to the standing committee.
Consultation between the minority Government and all parties in the Assembly could have avoided some of the unnecessary aggravation in the establishment and format of our committee systems. However, in this case, there should be no doubt that the Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Infrastructure is the appropriate committee to refer this matter to.
At this stage, Mr Speaker, I think it is important to express some concern about some of the directions being taken by the Interim Territory Planning Authority to amend existing NCDC policy plans under the terms of sections 73 to 79 of the ACT (Planning and Land Management) Act. While this section requires community consultation to take place, it is the Executive that can approve any changes to this plan. The Rally has some concerns about the relative ease with which these changes can be made without reference to the Assembly. This is one matter that the Rally will be seeking to have amended. The Government could send a series of positive signals to the people if it were prepared to refer such issues to the standing committee
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