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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 14 Hansard (12 December) . . Page.. 4927 ..

MR SPEAKER: Mr Moore, are you proceeding with your amendment No. 29?

MR MOORE (12.01 am): Yes, Mr Speaker, I am. I move:

Page 38, lines 1 to 12, paragraphs (b), (c) and (d), omit the paragraphs, substitute the following paragraph:

"(b) by omitting subsections (5) and (7).".

Mr Speaker, this is about increasing a Minister's power to deny the right to object. As such, I think it fits into this appalling narrowness of government, this reduction of the consultation process. I think it is yet another appalling example of what this Minister is prepared to do to people, particularly in dealing with environmental impact statements.

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning) (12.03 am): Mr Speaker, this again reflects the Stein recommendations. It constitutes part of the framework of tightening and streamlining the process whereby these issues should be considered in a structured format. I commend the original proposals to the Assembly, and not Mr Moore's amendment.

MS McRAE (12.04 am): I want to support the Minister on this. I think that the process for objection will allow anybody to object to anything in a way that will give them an opportunity to air their grievances. They will now be heard by the Commissioner for Land and Planning. They will be taken fairly seriously. I think that objections should be separated from appeal rights and, therefore, the concerns that have been raised by Mr Moore and Ms Horodny are unnecessary. This should be supported.

Amendment negatived.

MR SPEAKER: The question is: That the clause be agreed to. Those of that opinion say aye, to the contrary no. The ayes have it.

Ms Horodny: The noes have it.

MR SPEAKER: The question is: That clause 81 be agreed to. Those of that opinion say aye, to the contrary no. The ayes have it.

Ms Horodny: On a point of order: I called for a division on clause 80, as amended.

Ms McRae: It was not amended.

Mr Moore: No; she called for it on clause 80.

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