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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 3 Hansard (28 May) . . Page.. 775 ..

MR BERRY (continuing):

and a few of her cohorts. I want to know the full effects of this on the community beyond my days. I have a social interest in the future of the Territory, not just a political one for myself. The fact of the matter is that these sorts of developments can impact severely on the future economy and environment of the Territory. We do not know the full economic, social and environmental effects that this development would have in relation to the Territory's future.

Mr Smyth: It is an absolute joke.

MR BERRY: Mr Smyth, you do not know anything about rural residential development; that is pretty obvious. So I would suggest that you button your lip. I do not pretend to know anything about it. I will not persist with any pretence on the matter. But I am concerned about the future of the Territory and the environmental, social and economic impacts that these sorts of things have on the place.

The people opposite want to make a decision on this issue on the basis of some phoney claim that we are losing revenue over the border. It is a phoney claim. You think it looks good. It presents a nice picture, a nice image.

Mr Smyth: And you were going to build Kinlyside to within 200 metres of Hall - medium-density housing, quarter-acre blocks.

MR SPEAKER: Order!

MR BERRY: Let them get it out of their system, Mr Speaker. Have another go.

MR SPEAKER: You will have an opportunity to speak in due course, I am sure, Mr Smyth.

MR BERRY: He can get it out of his system now, if he likes. I am prepared to stand here and wait for a couple of minutes; I have a bit of time.

MR SPEAKER: Continue, Mr Berry. I am listening.

MR BERRY: This is an issue that requires the closest investigation. It is a massive change to the way we deal with land development in the ACT that could have a massive impact if we do not fully understand the issues. As I said earlier, it is all right for people to think that it looks good; but we have to go further into that, because we owe the future of this Territory a very much closer look at this issue than has been given to it to this point. It has been approached in a populist manner, with short-term gains in mind. There has been no proper examination of the issue. I, for one, will not be supporting Mr Humphries's amendment and I am very disappointed that Mr Osborne will be.

Amendment (Mr Osborne's to Mr Humphries's proposed amendment) agreed to.

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