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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 10 Hansard (Thursday, 26 August 2004) . . Page.. 4290 ..

The Standing Committee on Planning and Environment recommended in report 35, which was tabled earlier this week, that the variation proceed. As I have indicated, I tabled the final document on 25 August. Mrs Dunne has indicated that she wants to see the variation determined within the life of the Assembly. That is also the preference of the government, which is why the government worked to table the variation as soon as possible after the committee reported.

This variation removes any possible ambiguities over the land use for an important aged care facility for the community and for the proponents, the Little Company of Mary. Accordingly, the government will not be supporting the disallowance motion and will be taking all steps to facilitate the passage of the variation today.

MRS DUNNE (10.38): I thank members for their indulgence on this matter, which is an important one. We do not normally handle disallowances and draft variations in this way but, because this is the last sitting day, this issue must be resolved today, otherwise it will sit around until the Assembly is reconvened and possibly into the new year. Members of the Liberal opposition have been very critical of the delays in facilitating the development of the aged care facility by the Little Company of Mary on this site at Bruce and wish to do everything they can to expedite the matter.

The motion that I will move today is for the disallowance of variation No 241 to the territory plan. Although I shall be moving the motion, I will be voting against it, as will the Liberal opposition. It is a procedural matter to bring finality to the variation of the territory plan and allow for development on the site. There is a range of approval processes that must be gone through then by the government. The clear wish of the opposition is that these should be done as expeditiously as possible, within the constraints of the law, so that the people of the ACT, particularly the people of Belconnen, can obtain this much needed aged care facility as soon as possible. I hope that members will do the right thing and vote against the disallowance.

MS TUCKER (10.40): All I want to do is to put on the record that the Greens have not had time to look at this matter. I appreciate that this is the last sitting day. This report only came in last week, as I understand it, and obviously there has not been time for us to engage the community about what has come out of it.

MS DUNDAS (10.40), in reply: Mr Speaker, I want to respond briefly to the comments of the Minister for Planning when he tabled variation No 241 to the territory plan. I will not be supporting the disallowance motion. I am happy for variation No 241 to proceed.

The committee made three recommendations in its report on draft variation No 241. The first was that the variation to the territory plan proceed, which is what we are debating today. The second recommendation related to emergency access to Gossan Hill and along the existing Haydon Drive. The government has said that that will be caught up in how the development is proceeded with. The committee noted that and is glad that the government is aware of this issue and that the lease and development conditions for the site will take into account the need for fire management in this area.

The committee’s third recommendation was in relation to future developments and the government following a more desirable process of dealing with detailed land use issues

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