Page 5208 - Week 17 - Thursday, 13 December 1990
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Mr Speaker, I should like to conclude by extending an invitation to all Assembly members and to all interested groups and individuals to examine the revised legislation carefully and to contribute any further comments that they may have. I particularly invite members of the Opposition to examine and comment upon the revised Bills and trust that this second round of consultation will allow us to develop a bipartisan approach to the further development of the legislation.
I shall also be referring the revised Bills to those Assembly committees which are already considering the planning and land use package - they are the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Committee and the Conservation, Heritage and Environment Committee - so that they can complete their consideration of the package. By receiving the views and expertise of all of these people, we can ensure that the planning and land use legislation reflects the needs of each sector of the ACT community.
I move:
That the Assembly takes note of the papers.
MR CONNOLLY (3.24): Mr Speaker, at long last, in the dying hours of the last day of sitting of this place for 1990, we finally have the documentation in relation to the consultation on the land planning package.
Mr Kaine: So much for the hope of a bipartisan approach.
MR CONNOLLY: The Chief Minister says, "So much for a bipartisan approach". We have repeatedly said that we are adopting a bipartisan approach to this legislation; but we must point out that this is the legislation that Mr Jensen claimed in February should have already been in place and operating and that Mr Collaery, at this time last year, in the motion of no confidence in the Labor Government, claimed should have been in place and operating. Indeed, he cited as one of the main failings of the Labor Government its failure to have this legislation in place and operating. Yet the Government has taken 12 months to go through the process of releasing the first draft and providing an exposure copy.
Mr Speaker, having said that, I welcome the release at last of these documents and I can only join with the Chief Minister in hoping that this provokes some constructive further consultation. I cannot see, from going through these papers, whether there is a simple guide to where this legislation differs from the earlier draft. That certainly would have been a helpful piece of information for those interested people in the community to see how the Government has changed its mind from version 1 to version 2. I look forward - though without much confidence - to seeing this legislation in place in the middle part of next year.
Debate (on motion by Mr Jensen) adjourned.
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