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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 3 Hansard (10 April) . . Page.. 897 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

I repeat that the amendments she has put forward really do not relate to the substance of this legislation but incidentally deal with the same legislation that she would like to deal with by way of these amendments. I would ask members not to support her amendments but to be prepared to come back and consider them at a future point when we have the chance to look at perhaps another amendment to the Land (Planning and Environment) Act.

MR CORBELL (3.59): I am grateful to the Minister for the opportunity to discuss these amendments with him, Ms Horodny and Mr Moore earlier this week. We are satisfied with the Minister's proposal to refer this issue to the rural lessees task force for examination and report. At this stage we have no concerns with that process happening. However, I indicate that we will be ensuring that the issue is addressed. We believe that rural lessees have an obligation to manage their properties, which they lease from the Territory, in an appropriate manner. That involves property management plans to ensure the conservation of land and in many cases the restoration of land. We are satisfied with the proposal at this stage, but we want to make sure that it comes back to the Assembly promptly and that the issue is addressed and not left to drift. At this stage we are happy to support the Minister's proposal.

MS HORODNY (4.00): Mr Speaker, I participated in the round table discussion and accepted Mr Humphries's undertaking that he would refer my proposed amendment to the rural task force for their consideration in deciding the most appropriate means of implementing property management agreements. The Minister said at that meeting that the task force has already prepared a draft report. I hope that they will look at this issue seriously and take on board the whole concern I have about how the property management agreements will be implemented.

I do have concerns - and I must express them - about the process we are going through now. The rural task force does not have on it an environmental and land management expert. I wrote to Mr Humphries very early in the piece, in fact when that task force was originally put together, urging him to include on it an individual with environmental and land management expertise. Mr Humphries did not agree to this. At the round table discussion the other day Mr Humphries and the bureaucrats said that the task force would consult, and have consulted, with a particular individual who does have that environmental and land management expertise.

My understanding is that the Conservation Council was called in for general discussion with the rural task force. I am pleased that that has happened, but I believe that the particular individual from the Conservation Council who has the rural and land management expertise should have been a formal member of the task force, because land management is critical to rural issues. I believe that the property management agreement is, in fact, a contract. It is the agreement between the Government and the lessee, so it is critical that land management be put in place.

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