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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 10 Hansard (28 August) . . Page.. 2945 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

In the ACT, sustainability is about how we meet the needs of people today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. It is an approach to decision-making that recognises that social, economic and environmental issues are interconnected and decisions must incorporate each of these aspects if they are to be good decisions in the longer term.

In the context of this debate about draft variation 200, it is important to note that the government is formulating its policies on the basis of that definition. Perhaps we could build cheap tenements and be unconcerned about excess bitumen, concrete and paving, even though this is disastrous for water run-off and for the long-term amenity of our suburbs.

Draft variation 200 addresses these sorts of issues. It seeks to restrict the amount of hard-paved surfaces so that we do not put unnecessary pressure on our urban stormwater infrastructure but allow ground water recharge and allow the amenity of a garden city suburb that people value.

I am very proud of the new requirements for increased private open space provision in new developments. This is again a direct response to the issues being raised by our community. I am proud that we are instituting new plot ratios, the footprint of a house, which will see the end of large dwellings crammed on to blocks, completely out of context with the houses around them.

Mrs Dunne argued that we should not be doing draft variation 200 now but we should instead be focusing on a new strategic planning framework. It is incumbent on the government to respond to immediate issues that face our community, particularly issues that have already been extensively debated and consulted often, as well as to provide the leadership necessary for a long-term strategic framework for our city. The government's approach is to do these things in parallel and to make sure that they do not contradict each other.

I have had a series of very productive meetings with representatives of community, industry and professional organisations on how, as we progress draft variation 200 and the strategic planning framework for our city, we make sure that these exercises operate in parallel, and I am confident that that process will continue. I am confident that these debates we have about strategic planning will properly inform draft variation 200 and the debates we have about draft variation 200 will properly inform the strategic planning processes.

That is the framework the government is seeking to work within. It is a responsible framework which addresses the long-term strategic objectives for our city, as well as responding to immediate community concerns about the ad hoc nature of redevelopment activity which we saw under the previous government.

Mr Speaker, the government will not be supporting the motion.

Debate interrupted in accordance with standing order 74 and the resumption of the debate made an order of the day for a later hour.

Sitting suspended from 12.23 to 2.31 pm.

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