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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 14 Hansard (10 December) . . Page.. 4181 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

In essence, the matter can be resolved within a standard sitting fortnight rather than a sitting fortnight plus one extra sitting day, which is logistically quite difficult. It is really an issue of harmonising sitting periods within a reasonable timeframe.

Amendments agreed to.

Clause 21, as amended, agreed to.

Clauses 22 and 23, by leave, taken together and agreed to.

Clauses 24 to 36, by leave, taken together.

MRS DUNNE (9.50): The Liberal opposition will be opposing clauses 24 to 36. These clauses encompass chapter 3 of the Planning and Land Bill, which deals with the Planning and Land Council. The Planning and Land Council is a new advisory body established by this bill. The legislation suggests its role is to give advice to the agency and the Minister for Planning when they ask for it and to the agency when it exercises particular types of functions.

These functions include giving advice on draft variations to the Territory Plan, preparation and review of the strategic and spatial plan for Canberra, master planning, the annual urban development program, preparation and review of the land release program, applications to remove the concessional status of leases, DAs requiring an environmental impact assessment, and multiunit residential developments.

These are matters that are still subject to regulation. As you might know, Mr Speaker, I have been most vocal in my criticism of the government for its failure to provide regulations. We have a piece of paper that says, "These are the sorts of things that might be covered by regulation."At this stage we can only take the minister's word for it. But there may be things apart from multiunit residential developments of three storeys or more than 50 units, developments in excess of 7,000 square metres, buildings higher than 28 metres-matters that raise a significant issue of policy or considerable community concern.

The devil is in the detail. We do not know what this council is going to do. There is nothing that says what its advice may consist of. All we know is that they may give advice, but no agency or organisation has to comply with that advice. The whole problem with this arrangement is that the involvement of the council will delay and slow down the development process.

When a developer or someone proposing a development application goes to the council is unclear. When I sought advice on this matter in the committee, it was told it could be in the pre-application phase, but that means that the pre-application phase would take much longer than it currently does, or it could be in the development once a development application is made. Then there are questions as to whether the statutory time limits in a development application can be met.

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