Page 4177 - Week 14 - Thursday, 25 October 1990
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The principles of environmental protection in planning extend across the whole range of development activities. For example, the first action that my Government has taken in Gungahlin responds directly to this concern. The first construction activity to be undertaken there - and at considerable expense, I might add - is the construction of a major water quality control pond and retardation basin on Ginninderra Creek, to protect the water quality in Lake Ginninderra during the construction phase of Gungahlin.
The announcement yesterday that the very fast train will take the northern route through the ACT gives the Government the opportunity to reinforce again the planning principles of decentralised employment and an effective transport system, on which Canberra is structured. The station, which will now clearly be located at Gungahlin, will be the hub of a major employment concentration. It will thus become a major focus of activity, enable the development of a higher standard of public transport links within the ACT and may well provide the opportunity to use a lower energy mode of transportation here.
Mr Deputy Speaker, the decision to commence the development of Gungahlin was another major decision taken by this Government to ensure that both planning and infrastructure are in place to meet the fundamental community need for a mix of available and affordable housing. As indicated earlier, the principles of access and equity are valued by this Government, and it is essential that they be considered in any decision that may result in change to the nature of the city.
The distribution of facilities within districts and across the ACT as a whole has been undertaken to date in a coordinated and systematic way. Planning seeks both to enable and to ensure social infrastructure provision and the necessary interactions that foster community support and development. The decision of this Government to close schools has been a result of some very real economic imperatives. The decision has caused some community concern about the resulting distribution of schools and the safety of access. So the Government has asked Dr Hugh Hudson to look at these issues in consultation with the community. Dr Hudson will take into account the assessments undertaken by the Interim Territory Planning Authority in arriving at his conclusions.
The differences between the Interim Territory Planning Authority's advice on some aspects of school closures and my Government's decision have attracted some ill-informed comment in the last couple of weeks. The differences relate to Higgins, Hackett, Rivett and Weetangera schools. In the case of Higgins, future capacity may be needed to accommodate demand from any future development in west Belconnen. The Government's proposal to close Higgins Primary School, while retaining the buildings and grounds for any future use, is in keeping with the spirit of the advice of the Interim Territory Planning Authority.
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