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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 14 Hansard (10 December) . . Page.. 4570 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning) (10.32): Mr Speaker, I ask for leave to present the Land Acquisition (Northbourne Oval) Bill 1996.

Leave granted.

MR HUMPHRIES: I thank members. I present the Land Acquisition (Northbourne Oval) Bill 1996, together with its explanatory memorandum.

Title read by Clerk.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I move:

That this Bill be agreed to in principle.

On 5 November this year I announced that, in order to put an end to the long-running dispute over the legal ownership of Northbourne Oval in Braddon, the Government would consider introducing into the Assembly before Christmas a Bill to provide for the acquisition of the lease and the issue of leases to appropriate parties. The present situation is untenable. While the dispute between the ACT Leagues Club and the Canberra and District Rugby League continues, the oval's intended use as a facility for the peak rugby league body in the Territory continues to be frustrated.

The Land Acquisition (Northbourne Oval) Bill 1996 provides for the compulsory acquisition of block 1, section 30 in the division of Braddon. The Bill provides for the declaration of an acquisition; the vesting of the relevant land in the Commonwealth and the entitlement to vacant possession; compensation to be payable to the holders of acquired interests; notification and registration of the acquisition; and the disposal of acquired interests. While certain provisions of the Lands Acquisition Act 1994 are expressly applied by the Bill, the operation of other provisions is excluded.

The Bill provides that the Executive may declare the relevant land to be acquired for the Commonwealth. Upon publication of the notice, the relevant land is vested in the Commonwealth and is freed from all other interests and encumbrances. The Executive is entitled to possession of the relevant land 28 days after publication of a notice of acquisition. Under this Bill, when the acquisition of the interest is notified, the interest of a person in the relevant land is converted into a right to compensation. The Bill requires the Executive, as soon as practicable after the acquisition of the relevant land, to serve notice of the acquisition on each person having an interest in the land. If those persons are not known, it is sufficient that notice be given to each person that can be ascertained. The Executive is required, within 28 days after publication of notice of the acquisition, to lodge particulars of the declaration of the acquisition with the Registrar-General. The Registrar-General is to give effect to the declaration and make appropriate entries in the records kept by the Registrar-General.

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