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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 4 Hansard (3 April) . . Page.. 1317 ..
Thursday, 3 April 2003
The Assembly met at 10.30 am.
(Quorum formed.)
MR SPEAKER (Mr Berry) took the chair and asked members to stand in silence and pray or reflect on their responsibilities to the people of the Australian Capital Territory.
Petition
The following petition was lodged for presentation, by Ms Tucker , from 1,048 residents.
Block 12 section 2 Belconnen
To the Speaker and members of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory
The petition of certain members of the Australian Capital Territory draws to the attention of the Assembly the inappropriate development of Block 12 Section 2 Belconnen, at the intersection of Coulter Drive and Nettlefold Street, and the threat to its magnificent remnant Yellow Box / Red Gum woodland.
Your petitioners therefore request the Assembly to call on the ACT Government to withdraw the block from development and preserve the area as public open space.
The Clerk having announced that the terms of the petition would be recorded in Hansard and a copy referred to the appropriate minister, the petition was received.
Rates and Land Tax Amendment Bill 2003
Mr Quinlan , pursuant to notice, presented the bill and its explanatory statement.
Title read by Clerk.
MR QUINLAN (Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Business and Tourism and Minister for Sport, Racing and Gaming) (10.34): I move:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
Mr Speaker, the Rates and Land Tax Amendment Bill 2003 amends the Rates and Land Tax Act 1926 to provide the legislative mechanism required to implement a new rating system. This new system, designed to commence on 1 July this year, is a direct result of the government's election promise to make the Canberra rates system fairer for all long-term owners of residential and rural parcels of land.
Under the new rating system, long-term owners of residential and rural land will pay the previous year's rates, increased by the actual CPI. Long-term owners are defined as those who have owned the parcel of land for a period of at least 12 months as at 1 July each year.
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