Page 5616 - Week 17 - Thursday, 5 December 1991
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The Bill has been prepared after consultation with the ACT branch of the United Firefighters Union of Australia and has the union's endorsement, both under the previous Government and under this Government.
Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I now present the explanatory memorandum for the Bill.
Debate (on motion by Mr Stefaniak) adjourned.
LAND (PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT) BILL 1991
Detail Stage
Clauses 151 to 153
Consideration resumed from 4 December 1991.
MR MOORE (11.19): These clauses were the subject of an article in the Canberra Times on 27 November of this year by Rod Campbell. The headline was "Sweeping powers mooted for planning bodies". The reality is that the sweeping powers that are provided for in this part of the Bill simply are not necessary. I think that argument was covered quite well last night. I believe that it is appropriate for us now to continue and to draw attention to the fact that there would be problems with this.
Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I was speaking last night with a magistrate of the ACT. I am aware that demands are made on magistrates all the time, and I think it is important for us to determine whether this is a necessary task for magistrates to be encumbered with. If you are going to have these powers, if you are going to accept the powers, then it is important to have magistrates there. The real question is: Do we need the powers in this form in this Bill? At this stage it seems to me that they are entirely unnecessary and are entirely over the top.
At the end of my speech last night I drew attention to the fact that the Minister had tabled an amendment to these three clauses. In fact, the circulated amendment refers specifically to clause 151, the one which deals with the power of entry. I shall be very interested to listen to what the Minister has to say about his amendment, why it is that he has drawn it and how he believes it will assist.
MR WOOD (Minister for Education and the Arts and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning) (11.21): Mr Deputy Speaker, I am sorry; I did not quite hear all that Mr Moore said and I should have been fully attentive. I will reiterate very briefly a couple of points that I made yesterday. Bear in mind that the Scrutiny of Bills Committee found no problem with this. On their recommendation, I am moving my amendment to clause 151. It is in response to the Scrutiny of Bills Committee recommendations. Those recommendations are usually
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