Page 4730 - Week 15 - Thursday, 21 November 1991
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What I propose is to add a new subclause (3) to clause 15 with reference to the preparation of variations to the plan. This proposed subclause (3) is a very sensible thing indeed. I believe that every member of this Assembly would like to be seen to take a long-term view of planning in the Territory. It is absolutely critical and absolutely basic that we have a long-term view of the Territory in our planning, of all things. Yet, on page 73 of the draft Territory Plan's Planning Report there are these words:
... pending proposed joint studies with the NCPA, the Territory Plan cannot at this stage incorporate a comprehensive strategy for the ACT's longer-term development.
It has not been done; it is not part of this new Territory Plan. The only sensible thing for us to do is to retain what we have as the long-term strategy and make sure that our planning is consistent with that long-term strategy until a new strategy is developed.
If the Territory planners decide that this is a terrible thing and we cannot possibly go ahead with it, then let them develop a long-term strategy for the development of Canberra. I will quote further from that same page. It continues:
This is not to say that the Territory Plan will be devoid of strategic content.
I accept that. It is an argument that Mr Tomlins has used. When I have said that the Territory Plan is a zoning plan, he has said that it is not devoid of strategic content, and that is true. It is not one of those easy, black-and-white arguments. But the emphasis is, of course, on a zoning plan rather than a strategic plan. What is identified here is that the long-term strategies are simply not in place. By their own admission, there is no long-term planning incorporated into the Territory Plan. I must say, in the first place, that I think it is disgraceful. But, getting over the disgraceful thing, it is the responsibility of this Assembly to ensure that the community is protected by a long-term view.
The longest-term view that we have is the 1984 Metropolitan Policy Plan, which provides for the development of the Territory beyond the year 2000. That is a long-term, strategic plan. Therefore, it is appropriate that at this stage we retain that plan as our strategic development plan until such time as the Territory Planning Authority gets off its seat and develops that strategic plan - which, of course, would have to be consistent with the National Capital Plan produced by the National Capital Planning Authority.
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