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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 04 Hansard (Wednesday, 31 March 2004) . . Page.. 1426 ..

MR QUINLAN: because they were in a position of strength and because they were able to use that strength to prey upon and take advantage of little people. We do not want to see that sort of behaviour—which was, and probably still is, to some extent, prevalent in an industry like the cleaning industry—continue in the ACT.

Lyneham section master plan

MS DUNDAS: My question is to the Minister for Planning. I hope he will be able to hear it and that I will be able to hear the response. Recently the residents of Fox Place in Lyneham have raised a number of concerns about the Lyneham section master plan and the developments taking place in that suburb. Will you be responding to their calls and initiate a review of the section master plan in Lyneham?

MR CORBELL: The section master plan for Fox Place in Lyneham was approved only last year. It was done as part of the neighbourhood planning program for Lyneham and involved a broad range of residents in developing those section master plans. So given the already extensive and very recent process that has occurred in determining the section master plan, I do not see a need to revise the section master plan at this time.

If the Fox Place residents are concerned about the redevelopment of some existing single dwellings in their street, I understand those concerns, Mr Speaker. I think it is also important to put on the record that Fox Place is within the B11, B12 redevelopment area and these policies provide opportunities for increased dwelling densities in residential areas close to transport corridors, commercial areas and employment centres. The policies permit a maximum building height of two stories and require the development to be in accordance with the urban housing code.

It is not as though these planning policies have been place in terms of the master plan for a long time and need to be revised. The master plan was only finalised last year after a very thorough consultation process through the neighbourhood planning program. In relation to the redevelopment of that area at Lyneham, it has been recognised since the early 1990s, and in the territory plan since the early 1990s, that that is an area of the inner north that is subject to potential redevelopment to encourage the densities of development needed to support effective public transport use along Northbourne Avenue and to provide more people with the opportunity to live close to the city, thus containing the outward growth of Canberra.

The rationale for redevelopment is sound in that area. The master plan itself is new and it has gone through an extensive public consultation process. Whilst I had a meeting with Fox Place residents last year and was very pleased to be able to respond to a number of their concerns, particularly in relation to traffic—I provided a commitment to erect barriers to prevent cars parking on the reserve area in the middle of Fox Place—the planning policies have been set for a considerable period of time. The master plan that guides those policies is new and I do not see any reason to revise it at this time.

MS DUNDAS: I thank the minister for his answer. Considering that residents have expressed concerns that they cannot initiate a review and that they were unhappy with the neighbourhood planning process, are these concerns about community involvement in the planning processes of the ACT and in the development of master plans being

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