Page 1615 - Week 05 - Thursday, 7 April 2005
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(1) (a) - there are no plans by the Government or its agencies to develop open space at Block 9 Section 14 Curtin.
(b) - following consultation with the community and consideration by the Planning & Environment Committee, two Territory Plan variations which vary urban open space in order to permit the development of aged persons accommodation have recently been tabled in the Assembly as disallowable instruments.
Variation No 243 (Aged Care Facility Monash) commenced on 14 March 2005 following tabling on 15 February. It provides 5.9 hectares of land in Monash for expansion of aged persons accommodation at Goodwin Village.
Variation No. 248 (Extension of St Andrews Village Part Block 12 Section 28 Hughes) was tabled on 10 March 2005. It provides 1.6 hectares of land in Hughes for expansion of aged care accommodation at St Andrews Village.
(2) The Government has a position that it will broadly not support development on areas designated as urban open space. It has also made a commitment to integrate a range of areas perceived as urban open spaces (but currently have other land use policies) that are valued by the community, into the formal urban open space network.
To give effect to this commitment, the ACT Planning and Land Authority has conducted an extensive review of unleased land in established urban areas and made recommendations for enhanced protection of 186 sites that have open space value. In summary, about 33 hectares of land that was previously available for development has been recommended for inclusion in the formal urban open space network and 125 hectares of land associated with the grounds and ovals of government schools have been recommended for increased protection by a specific Territory Plan overlay. A further 167 hectares of land that is functionally open space but does not have the maximum available statutory protection has been recommended for inclusion in the formal urban open space network.
The intent of the Government’s policy on urban open space is to ensure that Canberra’s open space network is not regarded as a land bank for future development. Notwithstanding this, I recognise that from time to time proposals will be made for individual development projects that affect urban open space but also provide substantial benefits to the community. Such proposals will be considered on their merits and subject to the full process of public consultation and Assembly consideration afforded by the statutory processes for varying the Territory Plan.
Business—China delegation
(Question No 244)
Mr Smyth asked the Chief Minister, upon notice, on 8 March 2005:
(1) Further to the Business Delegations to China and the UK in March 2004 which were led by the Chief Minister, did Mrs Stanhope accompany the Chief Minister for the full itinerary of both delegations; if not, for which parts of the itinerary did she accompany him;
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