Page 52 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 7 April 1992
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MR LAMONT: You should hope that it is not. Madam Speaker, I present Report No. 1 of 1992 of the Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Infrastructure on the draft variation to the Territory Plan, City, section 65, blocks 6 and 13, referred to as the casino project, together with the minutes of proceedings. This report was provided to the Speaker for circulation on Friday, 3 April 1992, pursuant to the resolution of appointment. I move:
That the report be noted.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
LAND (PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT) ACT - VARIATIONS
TO THE TERRITORY PLAN
Papers
MR WOOD (Minister for Education and Training, Minister for the Arts and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning): I present the variation to the Territory Plan for City, section 65, blocks 6 and 13, that is, the casino project, pursuant to section 29 of the Land (Planning and Environment) Act 1991. In accordance with the provisions of the Act, this variation is tabled with the background papers, a copy of the summaries and reports, and a copy of any direction or report required.
Madam Speaker, this draft variation is to enable the establishment of an interim casino in the National Convention Centre and a permanent casino on part of the existing lease of the Capital Parkroyal Hotel. By way of explanation to new members who may not be familiar with the Land (Planning and Environment) Act which came into effect on 2 April 1992, subsection 26(2) of the Act requires the Executive to have regard to any recommendations of a committee of the Assembly before approving any draft variation to the Territory Plan. Accordingly, this draft variation was referred to the Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Infrastructure, and the committee subsequently advised that it agrees with the draft variation.
In considering this draft variation, the Executive also took into account the social impact assessment prepared for the section 19 casino proposal but which adequately addresses all the significant issues relating to the current casino proposal; a financial assessment of the proposal by an assessment panel chaired by the senior manager of the Westpac Bank's Corporate Finance Division; an investigation of the casino operator and developer undertaken by the Casino Surveillance Authority; an urban design assessment undertaken by a design assessment panel, which included representatives of the NCPA and the ACT Planning Authority and was chaired by a reputed urban design architect, Mr Ken Woolley; and a traffic and parking assessment by consultants and supported by the ACT manager of traffic.
This project will create 280 jobs during the construction phase of the permanent casino, and in the operational phase 350 to 400 jobs will be created at the interim casino, and up to 500 jobs at the permanent casino. In addition, $19m will be provided to the ACT community for the provision of cultural facilities. Therefore, Madam Speaker, after taking into account the extensive range of advice and the benefits accruing to the community, the Executive has approved the draft variation which I have tabled.
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