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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 10 Hansard (Tuesday, 24 August 2004) . . Page.. 4070 ..

forbid that you do. Therefore, the fact is, Mr Corbell, that you are responsible, on behalf of this government, for failure to do anything in the planning area for three long years.

Mr Wood: You spoke about a long list. Come on, make up your mind!

MR CORNWELL: I was speaking about the Greens’ 19 points for their planning arrangements, which would be an absolute nightmare.

Mr Wood: Go and read what you said!

MR CORNWELL: I am concerned, as I have been repeatedly concerned, about the aged care crisis and the fact that you have done nothing for three years. It is only now, with the approach of an election, that you suddenly start churning out areas for development for aged care facilities. There is, of course, one exception to this. We heard it earlier today when the Chief Minister announced the ACT prison project. From what I heard upstairs it is going to be one of those social softness things. Irrespective of what the government may be calling it, I think most Canberrans will be calling it “the Canberra Hilton”. Nevertheless, it is not a terribly impressive result after three years that you have finally got a you-beaut, new, modern prison coming forward.

I will wait and see if that comes to fruition. Equally, I will wait to see if all the promises you have made over the past few weeks in relation to aged care facilities will, in fact, come to fruition if this government is returned. Again, I have no faith that what you are doing and what you are proposing will be translated into bricks and mortar. It seems to me that your idea of improving and streamlining the planning process has a very long way to go. Unfortunately it seems that, if the last three years are any indication, you are in the hands of the bureaucrats, and I would strongly suggest that you reconsider.

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Hargreaves): The time for the discussion is completed.

Land (Planning and Environment) Amendment Bill 2004 (No 2)

Detail stage

Clause 5.

Debate resumed.

MS TUCKER (5.04): This amendment provides some wiggle room for speculation by leaseholders. It seems to give everyone an opportunity to sit on a lease, make a bit of a speculative profit and transfer the lease and then a couple of years later, which is about the timeframe that they would have under building and development requirements, just do it again.

Leaseholders have two years to complete their building under the present regime and that period can be extended on application to ACTPLA, so there is no need to create this exemption. The system in the ACT is a leasehold system and the Greens do not support the view that speculation in land value is a right. The issue of charges on the first transfer of a lease is a moot point, as such charges are not imposed.

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