Page 4612 - Week 16 - Tuesday, 27 November 1990
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and, once again, as with the Canberra Times site, we are faced with the struggle of unwinding history and the administration of the Territory by a Federal Labor government. We sure are doing it.
On a positive note, I think members will accept that Mr Duby, as the responsible Minister in the field of nature conservation, has already seen to it that the Jerrabomberra wetlands conservation proposal is being gazetted. I understand also that proposals have been officially announced for Namadgi, the Murrumbidgee River corridor and the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. They are part of unleased land, but they are very important to the general concept of the leasehold system. They have a relationship to it that is vital for future generations of the Territory.
The Alliance Government has commissioned a major study of rural leases in the Territory. That is under way. We were left to accelerate the collage and the paste-up that the Follett Labor Government left us for the Planning Appeals Bill. You all know in this house that it took some States 10 to 15 years to get their planning and environmental appeal packages through from the beginnings of the debates started in New South Wales by Dunphy and the others in the mid 1960s. So it is simply unfair to put it upon this Government when it is proceeding in an open consultative fashion and will be releasing the further planning package for consultation, hopefully before Christmas. The Chief Minister, my colleague beside me, says that it will be before Christmas.
Ms Follett: 1999?
MR COLLAERY: He is in charge here and I am sure the bureaucrats are listening, Ms Follett. That planning package is a most exciting prospect for many of us who have taken a great interest in the leasehold system. It gives, firstly, one of the widest third party appeal rights in this nation. That is a fairly breathtaking act of confidence in the population of this Territory. That is there for further public comment. The community activist groups and the developers alike need to comment finally on those proposals before, hopefully, we can bring them into law in mid year.
Mr Connolly himself said only a couple of months ago that it would be more prudent to spend more time on these Bills than to rush them. He is on the record somewhere in Hansard as saying that. I am sure Mr Kaine recalls Mr Connolly's comments. So you are having two bob each way on that one. Mr Speaker, those Bills integrate heritage, planning, leasehold and all those environmental and other concerns. They are an outstanding package of laws. They are a momentous compendium of law and they will be a great mark for self-government when they are finally produced, hopefully towards the end of the transitional term in May 1991.
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