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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 10 Hansard (29 August) . . Page.. 3678 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

Labor wants to establish an independent assessment process to determine the commercial viability of local centres proposed for redevelopment. We want to ensure that that assessment of commercial viability covers the previous three years, not just the previous 18 months as under the current government's policy, and we want to assess multi-unit dwelling proposals for local centres consistently. The only way you can do that consistently is by using the same guidelines which are used for all other multi-unit developments in residential areas across Canberra.

We believe that there needs to be the introduction of a mandatory master plan process prepared by an independent planning authority for all local centre redevelopment proposals. We also believe that the government should require the provision of some affordable housing as part of any local centre redevelopment proposal before remission of taxes and charges is granted.

Mr Speaker, moving to the specific issues outlined in Ms Tucker's motion, the first and key one of those is the application of multi-unit design and siting controls. The revitalisation of local centres should make provision for residential development as part of the redevelopment proposal. This was endorsed by the passage of variation 64 through the Assembly, and it was endorsed, I should stress, by all parties present in the Assembly at that time, including the Greens. Residential development in local centres is not required by the Territory Plan or the guidelines to be in accordance with the multi-unit residential development guidelines which are used for all other multi-unit development in the city. This is the weakness Ms Tucker identifies in her motion.

Currently, residential development controls for local centres allow a much higher plot ratio than that allowed for any other form of multi-unit development in Canberra. This is a loophole and it can lead to levels of density which would be inappropriate for local centres in a low-rise neighbourhood setting. I think it is important to stress that we are talking about local centres sitting in the middle of low-rise residential neighbourhoods.

Labor believes that residents are entitled to see multi-unit development at local centres take place in accordance with the same conditions that apply to any other multi-unit development in Canberra. We believe it is important to support this motion today because ultimately Labor's objective in relation to this issue is to see the Territory Plan amended to ensure that the residential component of local centre redevelopments is assessed in accordance with the criteria used for all other multi-unit developments, the residential design and siting code for multi-dwelling developments or its successor documents.

Ms Tucker's motion also highlights the fact that the government is currently proposing to release for sale a series of blocks in Kaleen and Giralang. The weakness with the government's approach in this regard is that it is releasing these blocks without a comprehensive master-planning approach for the centres where those blocks are located. We believe that this is just indicative of the Liberals' piecemeal and uncoordinated approach to planning and land release.

Planning for the revitalisation of local centres should include a detailed master plan for the entire local centre precinct. Labor believes that that sort of master planning approach would integrate detailed planning for local centres into a broader perspective of

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