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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 14 Hansard (9 December) . . Page.. 5017 ..

Planning intent

Paper and statement by minister

MR CORBELL (Minister for Health and Minister for Planning) (3.22): For the information of members, I present a statement of planning intent for the ACT and I ask for leave to make a statement.

Leave granted

MR CORBELL: For the information of members, I table the following paper:

Statement of Planning Intent for the ACT, dated 9 December 2003.

The establishment of the ACT Planning and Land Authority and the ACT Planning and Land Council signifies both the political and administrative maturity in the planning and development of the territory. It reassesses planning as a vital public function that must be conducted in an open, educative and accountable manner. It vests with an independent authority the stewardship of planning for our social, economic, cultural and environmental wellbeing, setting a clear vision for our future. The authority is supported in its role by the Planning and Land Council, which is comprised of people with a range of skills and expertise to provide advice to the authority and the minister. Members will be aware that in the debate on the Planning and Land Bill last year, I sought to include a provision that enabled the Minister for Planning to give to the authority a written statement that sets out the main principles that are to govern planning and land development in the ACT-the statement of planning intent.

While the ACT Planning and Land Authority has responsibility for implementing a range of planning and land development instruments, it must be led by the policy intentions established by government as determined by the minister. In this regard, the obligations of the minister and the authority are clearly expressed in section 14 (1) of the Planning and Land Act 2002. The act goes on to state that the minister must table the statement in the Legislative Assembly within six days of having given it to the ACT Planning and Land Authority. Section 9 of the act requires the authority to perform its functions, taking into consideration the statement of planning intent.

The statement of planning intent establishes a number of planning and development principles that I, as the minister, wish to be achieved. It is not, however, an explicit direction to the authority on how this is to be achieved, as the authority's administration of the planning and development system is at arms-length from the government.

The attached statement of planning intent includes a number of major issues that the authority will be required to have regard to. These are:

(a), governance and legislative reform;

(b), professional leadership and capacity;

(c), spatial planning and sustainable development;

(d), providing for the community;

(e), capitalising on good urban design and

(f), celebrating Canberra.

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