Page 4725 - Week 15 - Thursday, 21 November 1991
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to page 22, they will realise that "apartment" means "a dwelling located within a building which contains two or more residences". Apartments are also known as flats or home units. Of course, they would also allow a basement.
Mr Speaker, the astute person who goes out and looks at this plan and then provides information to the Planning Authority which may or may not be agreed to - certainly, we know that they must take it into account - may well feel that they have contributed to the policy. Therefore, they will understand that there will be no appeal whatsoever when somebody comes along and builds a two-storey set of flats next door to them, or next door to their neighbour or next door to their friends.
We have seen what that has done. Mr Connolly and I would draw your attention to places like St Peters in Adelaide, where I stayed only a matter of a month ago in my brother's house. There is a two-storey set of flats - you will recognise the style in Adelaide - right next door. That is what we are going to have in Canberra and there is going to be no appeal whatsoever, under those circumstances, provided they fit into the natural landscape, and so on. There is going to be no appeal. The reality is that that is going to put a lot of angst into our society. A lot of people are going to get up in arms and they will not take it lightly.
Let me draw an example to your attention. I am sure Mr Connolly remembers the people from Calwell. It is the same example. It is the same situation. People, when the reality hits them, are going to feel disempowered. When they feel disempowered I will bring them back to the night of 21 November, tonight, and I will point out how the Labor Party responded to their right to appeal this sort of decision, to have the right just to appeal. That does not mean to say that the appeal is going to be successful, because the planners will be able to come into the AAT and say, "Look, we have a document, we have our Territory Plan now, and it allows this and allows that". But people will be able to appeal in broad terms. When the Planning Authority has a strategy that provides that it is appropriate that that remain, that is fine; but when there is no appeal people will feel disempowered.
If you vote against this amendment you are taking away the power of people over what goes on in their neighbourhood. Let me warn you that it is a very dangerous thing to do. You have seen how people react. You are aware of the Calwell situation. You have seen the same situation over neighbourhood schools. You have seen how people are already beginning to react. Look at the Real Estate Times of today. People in Curtin believe that there is some risk that they might lose an open space in their area. This is what you are doing.
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