Page 804 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 13 April 1994
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One very important item in our report concerns the sunset clause. The professional institutes I referred to recommended a one-year sunset clause for the guidelines. The committee did not support the imposition of such a clause but does require that the guidelines be comprehensively reviewed after one year and that the institutes, the development industry and the public participate in that review. I think that will be a test of the guidelines as the committee has addressed them so far and will enable the community to have a good look at the guidelines in operation and decide for themselves whether it is the right way to go in the medium term.
I would also like to comment very briefly on social mix. While the committee decided that we would not put in the guidelines a requirement that some three-bedroom units be provided in developments, we did say that the ACT Planning Authority should monitor the residential mix of redevelopment schemes when the guidelines are reviewed in about 12 months' time. I think it is important that we look at the issue of social mix in terms of the Government's concept of urban renewal as a means of replenishing the population and making maximum use of existing resources, for example, schools. While I am comfortable with the committee's view at this time, I think the monitoring process on redevelopment in the future is one we need to be conscious of.
In closing, Madam Speaker, I would like to return to some remarks I made a couple of weeks ago when the issue of the guidelines was addressed in the February sittings of the Assembly. It is worth reminding ourselves that one of the objectives of the new Territory Plan was to introduce greater certainty and consistency, to enable proposed developments to be handled more easily. However, it is also worth noting that many specific areas of our city have their own additional objectives and development controls which will guide development on those sites. I think the B1 area along Northbourne Avenue is one such location. I hope members will find that the Planning Committee has addressed the requirements of that area quite substantively. I said in relation to the development of guidelines, during the February sittings of the Assembly:
I have spent some time commenting on what is occurring ... because I believe that the process that the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Committee has adopted for consideration of the proposed guidelines is a good one. Members have spoken often of the need to enable groups and individuals to have their say on planning matters, and this will be further facilitated during the Planning Committee's inquiry process.
It certainly has been, and I have been encouraged by the level of interest in the guidelines for various areas of Canberra, but particularly the B1 area. I am very pleased that there has been such interest in the Planning Committee's consideration of the guidelines for those areas.
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