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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 3 Hansard (5 March) . . Page.. 563 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

1994 a certificate on the grounds of urgency for the compulsory acquisition of block 14, section 6, Kingston on behalf of the Kingston Foreshore Development Authority. I present the following paper:

I ask for leave to make a statement.

Leave granted.

MR CORBELL: Mr Speaker, section 21 of the Lands Acquisition Act 1994 provides for the executive to acquire leased land for a public purpose on the grounds of urgency. The land to be acquired is block 14, section 6, Kingston. The land is currently leased to Canberra Cruises and Tours Pty Ltd for the purpose of "bus storage and maintenance facility and offices ancillary thereto".

The land will be used to reconstruct and realign the boat harbour on the edge of Lake Burley Griffin as part of the redevelopment of the Kingston foreshore. The land has not been used for its approved purpose for 20 years, and is required urgently to allow the contractors for the Kingston Foreshore Development Authority access to the land by 1 May this year so that site works can begin.

Successive governments had unsuccessfully attempted to purchase this land by negotiation. In 1998 Canberra Cruises lodged a development application to vary the lease. Planning and Land Management refused the application and a subsequent application to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal resulted in PALM's decision being upheld. An application lodging an appeal to the Supreme Court was withdrawn in July 2001.

Mr Speaker, the executive believes it is not in the public interest to delay this acquisition as this is a project of major economic importance to the territory. Acquiring this land quickly is a critical path activity. To delay this early work will have a flow-on effect and delay the entire the harbour development program. Access to block 14 will be a major occupational health and safety risk for the lessee while this work is going on, and will also be impractical, particularly as Mundaring Drive will be closed.

Mr Speaker, the executive is satisfied that the urgency provision was appropriate and it consequently executed the section 21 certificate on 28 February this year. This is the certificate I have tabled this afternoon. This has allowed the executive to proceed with the acquisition of the land through a compulsory process.

Mr Speaker, once acquired, the buildings and other structures upon the land will be demolished and investigations will be undertaken to determine the presence or otherwise of contamination. Any contamination will be remediated in accordance with an approved remediation action plan and the environmental management agreement between the Kingston Foreshore Development Authority and Environment ACT.

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