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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 10 Hansard (28 August) . . Page.. 2953 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

per year on government land development. That is their bottom line. I want to hear from the Liberal Party on how they will make up that $17 million per year gap which would result if they were ever to return to government and cancelled this program.

Harcourt Hill-remnant woodland

MS TUCKER: My question is to Mr Corbell. I did give notice of this question. Mr Corbell, you may recall that on 28 February 2001 this Assembly passed a motion calling on the government to:

(1) initiate a variation to the Territory Plan to incorporate the remnant woodland in the southern part of the Harcourt Hill estate adjacent to the 13th hole of the golf course into the adjacent hills, ridges and buffer areas land use policy area of Percival Hill; and

(2) until this Plan variation is finalised, not approve any development that encroaches on this remnant woodland.

This motion was put forward in response to plans by the Harcourt Hill developers to build a housing enclave in this woodland and was passed unanimously by the Assembly. This housing has not been built, but recently work has begun on building a boundary fence on the southern side of the golf course which goes right through the woodland rather than around the edge of the fairway, involving some clearing of vegetation in the path of the fence.

Minister, could you advise me how this fence was approved when that was inconsistent with the second point of the motion passed by the Assembly? Even if there was no formal development application, I assume that some part of your department was asked about the acceptability of this fence.

MR CORBELL: Mr Speaker, I am advised by Planning and Land Management that the variation to the Territory Plan as proposed in the motion of the last Assembly will be pursued following finalisation of the golf course boundaries at the edge of Percival Hill. This area is no longer in the holding lease and has been handed back to the territory. That is my understanding of the situation at this time. Ms Tucker has raised a number of other issues and I will endeavour to get back to her on those issues as soon as possible.

MS TUCKER: I have a supplementary question. Given that the rest of the Percival Hill woodland is zoned as open space but is not part of Canberra Nature Park, will you also consider incorporating this area into the nature park as part of the plan variation?

MR CORBELL: Mr Speaker, I will take that aspect of the question on notice and seek further advice. I will get an answer to Ms Tucker as soon as possible.

Business support and economic development

MR HARGREAVES: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Deputy Chief Minister and minister for business-the best minister for business, I might say, in seven years. Can the minister advise the house of the new government's approach to business support and economic development? I would like to know what changes there have been in this government's approach from that of the former government.

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