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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 12 Hansard (20 November) . . Page.. 4432 ..

MRS DUNNE (continuing):

what is good for you."That is the type of attitude that has got us into the situation where, at the moment, the Downer and Hackett residents are particularly offended by the process of neighbourhood planning.

There is continual deskilling, low morale and future shock in the planning authorities and, especially in the recent case of the debate over rural leasing, we have seen a complete lack of knowledge of what the law requires. Over this is laid the master plan, Mr Corbell's "no arm of planning will be left untouched", his whole-of-government strategic approach. It absorbs a huge amount of time on strategic plans, studies and policy directions, which have diverted staff from the day-to-day business of making decisions on specific projects.

This government has made very much of its integrated strategic whole-of-government planning. We have a spatial plan, an non-urban study, an urban edge study, a water strategy, a social plan and an integrated transport plan. I am not quite sure what it is integrated into, but presumably the minister will eventually reveal all. All that feeds into the grand plan. It does sound like the five-year plan, doesn't it? It sounds okay in theory sometimes, but it is piecemeal: it comes along in dribs and drabs. We had a draft spatial plan released the other day which made some announcements about future directions, all of them without any reference to our water supply. There may be simply too many moving parts to integrate successfully.

We do not have the resources to enforce it and that could lead down the slippery path of corruption. The system is overengineered.

Mr Corbell: On a point of order: the imputation that the government's reforms are leading to corruption is highly disorderly. You should ask Mrs Dunne to withdraw, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: Did you say that?

MRS DUNNE: I said this could lead down the slippery path to corruption. However, if Mr Corbell is offended, I will withdraw it.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you.

MRS DUNNE: We have all heard of a belt and braces approach, but I would rather characterise the current planning approach as a belt, braces and boilersuit approach. We have HQSD, we have design review panels, we have a preapplication process and we have development application processes that are so complicated and overlapping that most people do not know what is going on. On top of that, what is the use of having a master plan and complying with it in every respect if you are still subject to challenge at every step of the way because of all these obstacles of HQSD, DAs, PAs and preapplication processes?

This is exacerbated by the fact that there are no limits on appeals and no requirements that a person should have a direct interest in a development. People can get away with holding up all sorts of projects, very cheaply, with frivolous appeals about the quality of the internal walls or the hydrography in the basement.

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