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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 13 Hansard (2 December) . . Page.. 4338 ..

MR MOORE (7.56): Mr Speaker, this is getting a bit boring, is it not? I present Report No. 42 of the Standing Committee on Planning and Environment, entitled "Draft Variation to the Territory Plan (No. 92): Dunlop (West Belconnen) - Dunlop Hills Reserve", together with a copy of the extracts of the minutes of proceedings. This report was provided to the Speaker for circulation on Thursday, 27 November 1997, pursuant to the resolution of appointment. I move:

That the report be noted.

Mr Speaker, this was yet another minor variation that the committee believed was appropriate. I take this opportunity to comment that this Report No. 42 of the committee is the last of the variations, although the committee still has another report and a formal statement or two to deliver in the Assembly. The legislative requirement for the Planning and Environment Committee to look at draft variations to the Territory Plan is very important. There have been times when we have been able to handle variations very quickly. The one that comes to my mind is the development of the St Andrew's aged persons home in Hughes. There have been occasions when the committee has taken a great deal of time over these variations.

The main message for us is that the Territory Plan is the part of our processes that provides stability. In all my debates with developers over the years they have said that they want certainty. It is the Territory Plan that provides that certainty. If you operate within the Territory Plan, if you operate within your lease purpose or you seek to change your lease purpose consistent with the Territory Plan, you should have a reasonable chance of certainty. If a developer wishes to move outside the Territory Plan there should be no sense of certainty. That is a challenge for a developer who wishes to do that; but it is a decision, in the end, that should be taken by this Assembly. I think there are some members of the community, particularly a number of planning activists whom I have dealt with at length and whom I have a great deal of respect for, who misunderstand the difference between a change to a lease and a change to the Territory Plan. It seems to me that that is one of the issues that we need to deal with.

The other thing I must say, Mr Speaker, is that variations to the Territory Plan are still done, in a sense, in a vacuum. What do we think is good for the community? It would be very useful for the Assembly and the committee to have a device with which to measure a sensible change to the Territory Plan within the overall strategy. I think that is when we will see an improved system, and I look forward to working on that in the next Assembly - if I am lucky.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

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