Page 6222 - Week 19 - Tuesday, 17 December 1991
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is much more than the three members of the Residents Rally can say. At this point they ought to hang their heads in shame. I will not run through the whole range of areas on which they have not been consistent with their policies; it is not worth it and we have been through it before.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I take pleasure in supporting this Bill. I would not and could not have supported a casino on section 19, but I am happy to support an interim casino in the National Convention Centre and a casino adjacent to the Capital Parkroyal Hotel.
A number of planning issues were raised by Mr Collaery, and earlier by Mr Jensen. Those planning issues were of some concern to me and I looked at them. At this stage I ought to point out why I interjected when Mr Duby spoke earlier and said, "Yes, I support you". No matter what decision is made in terms of planning, the authority for planning in this Territory remains with the Assembly.
There is no doubt in my mind, and I am at one with Mr Duby, that, if this Assembly decides that it wants to change the Territory Plan or to change the legislation to allow us to take certain actions, we have authority for planning in all respects other than the national capital aspects and the areas that are covered in the National Capital Plan and are controlled by the Federal Government. We have the right to do that. Not only do we have the right to do that, we have the responsibility to do that. When this Assembly as a whole decides that it needs, for some reason, to override or to change a planning issue, it has the right, and in fact the responsibility, to do so.
I am sure that members of this Assembly or the next Assembly would be reluctant at any stage to move away from a set of standard procedures that are in place to protect the community interests. We have debated long and hard in the last four weeks about those procedures and their appropriateness. So, I have no difficulty at all with those in general.
In terms of the effect on the Territory Plan and amendments to sections 4 and 39 of the Casino Control Act which are to have effect notwithstanding sections 8 and 9 of the Interim Planning Act 1990, I believe that the suggestions made very early in the piece that this in some way or another will breach the planning system are unfounded. We have had an assurance from the Chief Minister, and I accept that assurance, that there will be, as far as the planning variations go, appropriate public consultation; that we will go through the standard consultation process and there will be a variation to the plan. In fact, we have a copy of the variation now, and Mr Kaine spoke on that earlier.
One of the ironies of the Rally opposing this legislation is that it is this legislation which will facilitate the casino being put somewhere other than section 19. Do not mistake me; I understand the position they have taken.
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