Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

None . . Page.. 1111 ..

MR WOOD: I saw the reference to September, but I did not read into it that current applications are still going to wait for another three or four months before they can start to be considered. That does not sound like a very effective way to proceed to bring to planning the certainty that you suggested. I will be very interested to hear what the community says about Mr Humphries's concept of the local area planning advisory committees. There was a great deal of discussion with the community. I expect the community to say, “This is not what we were talking about”. I should imagine that there will be some very critical comment about this concept of Mr Humphries’s.

The other concern I have is about the way the Land and Planning Appeals Board is being dealt with. Mr Humphries says that it was not well perceived in the community. I am not sure about that. I would like to see some more evidence of that. Certainly, I had a difficulty on a couple of occasions and took their findings to appeal, but it was working its way in and I think that in almost all respects it was doing a job that was well accepted by those who appeared before it. I think the universal view of the Planning Appeals Board was that appeals to it should be inexpensive. I await some greater definition from Mr Humphries of what the attachment to the AAT will do. Will it mean that it will become an expensive operation, as appearances before the AAT can be? Will it price the mechanism of appeals out of the reach of many of the residents who have taken appeals to that tribunal? It is a source of concern to me.

Mr Humphries: There is no change in the structure.

MR WOOD: Thank you. You did not say that in your statement. It is going to be an arm of the AAT, you said.

Mr Humphries: Yes, a planning division, but with the same structure as it has now.

MR WOOD: So, some appeals will go to the AAT, with the cost structure involved with that - - -

Mr Humphries: Like what?

MR WOOD: The cost of taking people in, for example.

Mr Humphries: There is a very minimal application fee.

MR WOOD: The ability to bring people in on your side.

Mr Moore: Lawyers.

Mr Humphries: No, there are no lawyers.

MR WOOD: Are you telling me that the cost structure will remain the same - a $100 application and that is it?

Mr Humphries: Yes.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .