Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 4 Hansard (10 April) . . Page.. 883 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

In June last year the lessees approached PALM and requested a right to a residence on the lease as they needed to vacate the rental property in Majura by the end of August last year. The lessees were advised at that time by the previous government that the construction of a residence was not permissible under the lease because of the provisions of the Territory Plan. The area in question-block 3 of section 129 Narrabundah-comes under the urban open space land use policy of the Territory Plan, and is also classified as an urban area under the National Capital Plan.

I don't want to make any judgment about the value of the services provided by Animals Afloat. Indeed, if anything, there is no doubt that many people get great enjoyment, and pay for that enjoyment. But the government believes that any proposal to change the planning policies applying to this or any other land should only be proffered after a careful and thorough analysis of all the issues and options; not simply because of simplistic and emotive arguments about the nature of a particular business, which is what Mrs Dunne is doing today. This is particularly important in the context of land designated as urban open space.

The government has now commenced-and it made this clear before the last election-a program of neighbourhood planning for Canberra. I will shortly be announcing the preparation of a city-wide strategic spatial plan. In addition, the government is committed to undertaking a comprehensive review of open space within the territory. The neighbourhood planning process will provide the vehicle to allow all of those who have a stake in the suburb to participate in collaboratively defining the future planning for Narrabundah. Inevitably this process will involve examining the future of parcels of land such is the one which is subject of this motion. This will provide a strategic process for considering any future land use changes.

Mr Speaker, Narrabundah is not among the first group of suburbs to receive a neighbourhood plan, but it is high on the government's list of future priorities. I anticipate that within the next 12 months substantive work will have commenced on a neighbourhood plan for Narrabundah. We are trying to approach this issue in a consistent way that meets our election commitments.

I want to rebut a few things that were put forward by Mrs Dunne. There is no doubt that the land that Animals Afloat is currently on was part of the original soldier settlement grant. As members would know, this land was resumed by the Commonwealth some time ago, and full compensation was paid for the land. It is not as though the land was taken away or diminished in any way. The land was acquired by the Commonwealth prior to self-government, and full compensation was paid for all of that land. So there is no presumptive right simply because it was a soldier settlement lease to that land. Yes, there are emotional and historical links, and I respect those, but there are no legal obligations on the territory simply because it was a soldier settlement lease. Again, it is an emotive argument from Mrs Dunne.

Mrs Dunne says, "Let's make it a rural lease and let's give the Swans a longer tenure under the rural leases policy." The previous government's rural lease policy does not currently provide for long-term rural leases in the Symonston-Jerrabomberra-Narrabundah area because the area is subject to more detailed planning studies. So even if we were to go down the course proposed by Mrs Dunne, there is no guarantee that the

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .