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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 8 Hansard (27 June) . . Page.. 2325 ..

A further provision of the bill, clause 17, removes a person's rights to seek an injunction, or otherwise challenge a decision to impose quarantine, and any orders in support of such a quarantine. This, too, is necessary to ensure the objective, controlling the incidence and spread of diseases and pests, is met. The ability to challenge these decisions in court would hamper the government's efforts to control a disease outbreak and compromise the outcomes of controlling the spread of the disease and its ultimate eradication.

I would add here that each of those proposals matches the approach taken in the Animal Diseases Act 1993, and reflects what has been agreed at the national level as best practice for legislation to address issues such as plant and animal disease outbreaks. These measures are necessary to ensure that the ACT meets its obligations to other states and territories in relation to these issues.

The bill presents an effective tool for government to respond to outbreak of a plant disease or pest, without unnecessarily interfering in the business of growing and selling fruit. I commend it to the Assembly.

Debate (on motion by Mrs Dunne ) adjourned to the next sitting.

Planning and Land Bill 2002

Mr Corbell , pursuant to notice, presented the bill and its explanatory memorandum.

Title read by Clerk.

MR CORBELL (Minister for Education, Youth and Family Services, Minister for Planning and Minister for Industrial Relations) (11.55): I move:

That this bill be agreed to in principle.

Mr Speaker, members may recall that in the early sittings of this Assembly the government made very clear its intention to give effect as soon as possible to its planning and land management policies. This bill represents the most important step in that process-the establishment of the working tools for a more robust and independent system of planning and land development for the ACT.

This bill introduces the establishment of the Planning and Land Authority. This government has a strong and very public commitment to positively changing the territory's planning system, and it intends to honour that commitment. This bill represents a significant element of that promise. We are proposing a series of changes that would deliver long-term benefits to the community, to planning and land administration and to the community.

The bill gives effect to a range of the government's planning policy initiatives. Our policy provides for the establishment of a Planning and Land Authority that is capable of preparing and supporting the implementation of a long-term strategic approach to planning for our city.

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