Page 4857 - Week 16 - Thursday, 29 November 1990
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Against this background I now turn to the Bill before the Assembly. The introduction of this Bill is necessary to cover the period between the end of the transition period provided for in the ACT Planning and Land Management Act and the commencement of our own planning and land use legislation.
Members will be aware that the Commonwealth is currently taking action to extend the transition period until May 1991 by amending the Planning and Land Management Act. However, it is understood that at the same time action is under way to have the National Capital Plan finalised and the end of the transition period proclaimed before the end of 1990. Once the transition period ends, the Planning and Land Management Act provides that remaining NCDC policy will form part of the Territory Plan. I undertake to release a list of those former NCDC policies for public comment.
When this Commonwealth legislation was put in place it was envisaged that the ACT's Planning Authority would have been established by the time the transition period ended, allowing for continuity in the planning processes. However, in keeping with our commitment to full community consultation on the planning legislation, draft Bills in the package will now not be finalised for introduction into the Assembly until after the second period of public consultation, due to conclude at the end of February next year. If legislation is not enacted now to establish the ACT Planning Authority there will be a gap of some months during which the Interim Territory Planning Authority will be unable to vary any of the policies of the NCDC which comprise part of the Territory Plan or to release a draft Territory Plan. The ITPA is simply not empowered to do that.
The interim legislation before the Assembly contains only those provisions of the draft Planning Bill essential to the plan-making process. Its principal features provide for the establishment of the Territory Planning Authority and the appointment of the Chief Planner and the introduction and variation of the Territory Plan. It does not include references to the other Bills in the planning and land use package or to the creation of the planning advisory committee as provided for in the Planning Bill. It is important to note that this interim legislation will not prevent adjustments to the powers and functions of the Planning Authority during the transition to the permanent planning legislation. While it will enable the preparation and release of the draft Territory Plan, the plan will not be finalised until the planning and land use package is in place.
It is important to note that the introduction of the Interim Planning Bill does not preclude the release of the planning and land use package for the further period of public consultation. While the Interim Planning Bill contains provisions to establish the Territory Planning
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