Page 2300 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 17 August 1993
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Madam Speaker, the draft variation in respect of Holt, section 89, block 5, was considered by the committee at its meeting on Friday, 11 June. The committee resolved to hold a public hearing on the draft variation and to place advertisements in the local press inviting public comment. The advertisement appeared in the Canberra Times on Wednesday, 16 June; the Chronicle on Tuesday, 22 June; and the Valley View on Wednesday, 23 June. The committee instructed the secretary of the committee to contact each of the persons who made a submission to the ACT Planning Authority on the draft variation for the Belconnen golf course. Seventeen submissions were received by the Planning Authority and were made publicly available in the normal course of the authority's consultation process. The committee examined these submissions in the course of its inquiry.
At its meeting on Friday, 18 June, the committee was briefed on the draft variation by the Chief Planner and officials of the Land Division of the Department of the Environment, Land and Planning. The committee requested the officials to provide further documentation on several aspects of the proposal and also to appear at the forthcoming public hearing so that their evidence could be placed on the public record.
Madam Speaker, a wide range of individuals and organisations contacted the committee in response to the press advertisements. At the public hearing on Friday, 25 June 1993, the following persons appeared: Mr Keith Minto, for the West Belconnen Residents Action Group and the Conservation Council of the South-East Region and Canberra (Inc.); Dr Chris Watson, for the Belconnen Community Council; Mr G. Handley, for the Belconnen Community Council; Mr B. Brocklebank, a member of the Belconnen Golf Club; Messrs Hill and Howarth, for the Belconnen Action Group; Mr M. Lawrence, a member of the golf club; Mr R. Bell, for Ron Bell and Associates; Messrs J. Dawson, D. Maiuto and G. Mosely, all officials of Ron Bell and Associates; Mr K. Rudd, president of the Belconnen Golf Club; Mr B. Fitzroy, secretary-manager of the Belconnen Golf Club; Mr N. Wilson, a director of the Belconnen Golf Centre; Mr P. O'Brien, acting assistant secretary of the ACT Planning Authority; Mr P. Harris, acting manager of the Community Relations Section, ACT Planning Authority; and Mr Peter Guild and Mr M. Pearson, of the Land Division, Department of the Environment, Land and Planning.
Madam Speaker, the reason why I have taken some time to place on record here in the Assembly the persons who appeared before this committee is to dispel the belief that the Planning Committee does not take enough time to investigate variations that come before it or that we undertake a cursory re-examination of the processes required to be followed under the planning Act. That in fact is not the case. Indeed, this committee is quite rigorous in its examination not only of the ACT Planning Authority and its officers but also of the community groups and/or individuals who appear before it.
I was quite distressed during the public hearings when a witness appearing before us raised, either knowingly or unknowingly, a question of impropriety. It was not a question of impropriety directed at any particular officer or official of the Government. It was not a question of impropriety levelled at any of the political operators within the Australian Labor Party who are members of the Government. It was not a question that was directed to Ron Bell and Associates.
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