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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 10 Hansard (Tuesday, 24 August 2004) . . Page.. 4069 ..

our system of planning, but far too little attention has been paid to how to make these things link together.

While there will always be delays where there is controversy around a proposed development, in my experience an awful lot of delay is created not by objections or community concerns but by misleading or contradictory advice, or by duplication or lack of coordination by approval authorities. A lot of work needs to be done to make sure all of the different planning stages are working together. As legislators and governments we have to start to realise that, ultimately, planning should be a democratic pursuit. Maybe it is time for the government, ACTPLA and the minister to relinquish ownership of planning and give it to the people of Canberra.

There is a view in this place that only important and professional people should be allowed to make planning decisions, but not the people who have to suffer the effects of these policies for decades to come. It is time to let community members have some control of their planning system and of the planning happening in their area, so they can identify the issues of most concern to them and comment on them freely, openly and fairly to the government and to ACTPLA. It is only with a cooperative planning consultation system that the ACT can move to resolve its current planning conflicts.

MR CORNWELL (4.58): While watching the news on television last night I was interested to see the new Riverside development that overlooks Lake Burley Griffin where the old woolsheds used to be in Barton. Approval was given for this multimillion-dollar development, to which the St George Bank contributed some $50 million. Approval was given for this very large development in six months. I think that indicates the differences between ACT planning and federal planning—because, of course, the Barton area is under the control of the NCA.

Earlier here today a report from the planning and environment committee was tabled, which related to the crisis in aged care. This committee of the Assembly has put down nine sensible recommendations that this government has taken three years not to do. One has to ask why.

At 5.00 pm, in accordance with standing order 34, the debate was interrupted. The motion for the adjournment of the Assembly having been put and negatived, the debate was resumed.

MR CORNWELL: Mr Corbell comes in here this afternoon and gives us a long list of wonderful things that this government has done. Minister, it is too late. You have had three years to do all these things and you have not done them. Only now are you beginning to move. In the meantime we have a crisis in aged care that has been growing larger week by week. I would have thought that we could address that matter without, I might add, bringing in a series of rules and regulations, of which the Greens have suggested some 19—that is perhaps too many—but there is certainly the opportunity to streamline the matter of planning in this territory. We have not seen that to date.

Mr Hargreaves said something along the lines of removing the apple of planning temptation from the reach of politicians. I do not think that is feasible, and I do not think it is possible. The fact is that, sooner or later, some minister has to be held responsible for what happens in the planning area. You cannot hand it over to the bureaucrats—God

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