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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 5 Hansard (3 May) . . Page.. 1406 ..
MR SMYTH (continuing):
proponent. It will be provided for the purpose of informing the territory and will be forwarded to the AVO for advice. Assessments of change of use charge will still be reviewable in the AAT.
Regulations might provide that certain applicants would not be required to provide a valuation. Such exemptions, which would apply only in limited circumstances, might relate, for example, to applications involving community uses or lease variations that clearly will involve no added value.
Mr Speaker, again I find myself before members of the Assembly urging their thoughtful consideration of an initiative that the government believes will greatly improve the administration of leasehold, no matter what their philosophical background on this vexed issue may be. I repeat that there are two real changes. The existing discretion as to whether to grant a remission or impose an increase, which was never actually exercised, is removed, and valuations for the purpose of calculating the change of use charge must be provided by the applicant to be confirmed by the territory.
Both changes add certainty. Both changes add clarity. Both changes help to restore some of the balance between public and private interests which was to some extent lost when the assessment of betterment became an administrative and appellable process in 1992.
Mr Speaker, the government will continue to examine ways of improving our system for charging for development rights. We believe that this amendment is an important step forward.
Debate (on motion by Mr Corbell ) adjourned to the next sitting.
Waste Minimisation Bill 2001
Mr Smyth , pursuant to notice, presented the bill and its explanatory memorandum.
Title read by Clerk.
MR SMYTH (Minister for Urban Services, Minister for Business, Tourism and the Arts and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (11.10): I move:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
I ask for leave to have my speech incorporated in Hansard.
Leave granted.
The speech read as follows:
Mr Speaker, it gives me pleasure to bring to the Assembly today a Bill for the best practice management of waste within the ACT.
Waste reduction is a key requirement for the success of Canberra as a sustainable city. The Bill will be the legislative framework for addressing the objectives of the "No Waste by 2010 Strategy", and will build on the very successful kerbside recycling program in the ACT.
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