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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 4 Hansard (28 March) . . Page.. 1080 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

any suburb in Canberra, on any block in Canberra. The section master plan process will permit the developer to exceed the plot ratio control set out in the code, permitting development on up to 50 per cent of any block. Any other provision of the code can also be exceeded or ignored if such proposals are in an approved section master plan.

There is no appeal against the approval of such a master plan. There is no right of review. The section master plan, once approved by the minister, will become the planning control for your local street, your suburb, your neighbourhood, and it is entirely within the control of the minister, without any appeal. This is an unprecedented and unfettered increase in the powers of the minister. From tomorrow the minister alone can determine what sort of redevelopment occurs in your suburb, what level of density multiunit or dual occupancy redevelopment will take, and there is no appeal, no review.

From tomorrow we will see not only the implementation of provisions detrimental to protecting and enhancing the garden city character of our city but also a massive centralisation and, I would argue, politicisation of the planning process in the hands of the minister of the day. It is undemocratic, and it allows those with the ear of the minister to get the outcomes they want regardless of what the community thinks.

For all of these reasons, members should support my motion today. My motion sets out a process, first of all, to stop this proposed draft variation from taking effect. This motion directs the government not to proceed with the release of the proposed policies and code, so as to ensure that the policies and code do not trigger the requirements of the land act that allow for them to take interim effect and to have legal standing.

Interim effect would result in some of these proposed policies taking effect now. Normally this process is acceptable when a draft variation deals with the land use policy of a particular site. But this proposed draft variation will implement a policy which will apply to every single current and potential development or redevelopment site across Canberra. It is the most significant proposed change to the Territory Plan since the plan's introduction in 1994.

It is Labor's view that the proposed policies and code, as they currently stand, cannot be permitted to take even interim effect. They need to be reviewed, and Canberrans deserve the opportunity to be properly involved in a genuine process of review without the fear and the reality that the code and policies are already impacting in a detrimental manner on their suburbs.

The consultation process to date has been unacceptable. PALM has invited comments on the proposed policies and code. However, this process has not resulted in any significant change to the proposed draft variation. Feedback I have received on the process has made it clear that the government has had no genuine intention to alter any of the more controversial elements of the proposed changes, particularly those in relation to plot ratio controls, limits on private open space, insufficient controls on suburbs of territorial significance, and implementation of the section master plans without appeal.

I am therefore proposing that the consultation be revitalised. My motion proposes the establishment of a community advisory panel to review the proposed policies and code and to report on them to the Assembly. Members will be interested to learn that this proposal mirrors a proposal established by the Bracks Labor government in Victoria after

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