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The final recommendation, at paragraph 42, is:
The Committee recommends that the Government urgently review the policy on renewing concessional leases in order to ensure that the community does not lose important public revenue and options for land development.
The issue of this planning variation and the leases is the subject of a unanimous report by the Assembly committee, and I believe that it will set a new tone in the way that we deal with planning and in the way that we deal with our leasehold system in the ACT. I am very pleased with the work that has been done by the committee on this inquiry and by the ease with which the Assembly committee reached agreement on these issues. On behalf of the other members of the committee, I thank the secretary, Rod Power, for his work in supporting the committee and for his assistance in preparing the original draft of the report. I commend the report to the Assembly.
MR BERRY (4.35): Mr Speaker, my contribution to this debate will not be a long one, as Mr Moore has covered most of the issues. I can bring some historic corporate membership to this particular application, because it was an application that was left over from the last Government. That would have frustrated the proponents, because they had moved some time ago to get this matter resolved in order that the development could go ahead.
In the process of considering these issues the committees - and I use the plural because the previous committee and the present committee were involved - have dealt with issues which will send to those who are preparing variations for consideration by the committee a strong message that there has to be a comprehensive layer of work conducted and completed before it comes to the committee; otherwise, there will be some legitimate committee criticism of the process. For example, when the matter first came to the previous committee, the committee of the last Assembly, it was felt that the evaluation of the site was incomplete in so far as it had not dealt with some endangered species which were said to possibly exist on the site.
The traffic arrangements did not satisfy that committee either. I am pleased that that work has been taken right through and that alternative traffic arrangements have been recommended. This problem will affect not only the community that might live on the development but also those in the surrounding area of North Lyneham and Lyneham proper. I have been approached many times by people in Lyneham proper about the traffic problem in Mouat Street. There is an opportunity here for the Government to come up with a solution to at least some of the problems which have been caused as a result of the Ginninderra Drive extension not being completed. The decision not to go ahead with the Ginninderra Drive extension has had an impact on those surrounding suburbs, and there now need to be some alternative traffic arrangements - as recommended - carried out to reduce the impact of that extension not occurring.
This matter highlights the issue that was raised by Mr Moore about the overall planning of the ACT and the need for a major statement in relation to the matter. I am sure that that was what was intended by Mr Wood when he announced the long-term planning inquiry for the ACT in the last Government. Certainly, from my point of view, I am keen to
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