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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 6 Hansard (24 May) . . Page.. 1626 ..
MR CORBELL (continuing):
The Planning Authority, under my bill, will be required to publicly respond to any direction made by the minister. This response must occur within two months, and must outline what action the authority has taken and intends to take in response to any specific written direction, and the minister is required to table that report in the Assembly within six days of receiving it.
The bill provides for the term of the chief planner to be of no more than five years, contains strong disclosure mechanisms to protect the integrity of the office of chief planner and the independence of the ACT Planning Authority, and ensures that there is no conflict of interest between the chief planner's personal interests and any decisions being contemplated by the Planning Authority.
In conclusion, this bill is about the public interest. It is about making the decision-making framework for planning as transparent as possible, and making sure that it is separated clearly from ordinary commercial or private interests. As we know, Mr Speaker, among many other markets, the land market is prone to systemic failure. That is why we have planning. Land scandals have marked the cards of this government, and it is vital to ensure that the independence of public officers entrusted with planning is rigorously maintained.
I took the opportunity of referring this draft bill to a number of others for comment prior to tabling it today. One of the individuals I asked to comment on the bill was Dr Brendan Gleeson, who is a senior research fellow and deputy director of the urban frontiers program at the University of Western Sydney. The urban frontiers program is one of the leading academic institutions on planning and urban government policy in Australia. He had this to say about the legislation:
In short, the amending legislation will:
1. strengthen the democratic foundations of planning in the ACT by establishing a public advocate for planning and by enhancing the Assembly's power to scrutinise planning;
2. protect the integrity of planning in the ACT by reducing the potential for ad hoc and/or venal decision making; and
3. protect the minister's integrity by ensuring that his or her relationship with the planning administration is transparent and not clouded by private interests or secretive process.
He concludes by saying:
Who could object to this legislation?
This is an important reform in planning in the ACT. It will help to restore integrity in the community in the planning process in the ACT, and I commend the bill to the Assembly.
Debate (on motion by Mr Smyth ) adjourned.
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