Page 2039 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 5 June 1990
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In a couple of days' time, this Government will have been in office for precisely the same length of time as the Follett Government. In the Follett Government's six months in office, starting from scratch, it was able to prepare and produce for exposure two draft Bills on planning and land management and to develop work on an appeals Bill. In the same period in office, all this Government has been able to do is to re-release the Follett Government's Planning and Land Management Bill.
It has failed conspicuously to answer its own demands that appeals legislation be introduced. Yet again the need for an adequate planning appeals system is fundamental in the pink booklet. Like Chairman Mao with the red book, we so often find ourselves waving the pink booklet in this chamber. It was central to the Rally demands. It has failed to occur. We see yet again that the Rally policy falls out badly in the dealings of this Alliance Government, and the Liberal Party agenda takes the way.
Until there is adequate planning appeals legislation in this Territory, fiascos like the Canberra Times redevelopment will continue. Almost inevitably, this decision announced today will be subject to appeal in the local courts by one or other group dissatisfied with the decision. The problem will drag on until legislation is introduced. The lack of such legislation was a central factor in the no-confidence motion of December last year, and how ironic it is that after seven months nothing has changed and there is still no legislation.
The other matter of grave concern to the Opposition in this statement is the announcement that the Griffin Centre will, after all, be redeveloped. There was grave community concern in Canberra over the fate of the Griffin Centre, which is home to many small and large community groups that do so much to add to the diversity of the social fabric of Canberra. There are many groups, ranging from the Embroiderers Guild to the Genealogy Society, that operate in the centre and add, with their thousands of members, to the way we live our life in Canberra.
The people who use that centre were concerned at the rumours. Those rumours emanated, I believe, from Mr Duby's office, where a spokesperson was reported to have said, "The site will be worth a few bob. We boast that it will be flogged off, worth a few bob more". Well, we will be most concerned if the raising of a few bob and the flogging off of community assets occur at the expense of the community groups.
It is all very well to say, "We hope to develop another community use site", and to say, "The tenants will be given some security until that new building is completed", but unless the community groups can be guaranteed tenure at an appropriate rate of rent and can be guaranteed continued access to cheap and convenient accommodation - not Rolls
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