Page 2574 - Week 08 - Thursday, 30 June 2005
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Let me talk about Mrs Dunne’s critique of the KBR study, the public transport futures feasibility study. She said that that study recommended light rail and that I ignored it. Mr Speaker, I do not know which report she was reading but the report that I read said very clearly that in the longer term light rail is the appropriate transport mode for rapid transit between our town centres but it cannot be justified at this time. It cannot be justified on cost grounds or on grounds of total population and population density along public transport routes.
So what did the KBR study recommend? The KBR study recommended that we sequentially establish the framework that will ultimately lead to light rail, and the first stage that it recommended was the establishment of dedicated busways between our town centres. And what are we doing, Mr Speaker? We are investing as a government in the feasibility and forward design for the first of our busways, and that feasibility and forward design will inform the government’s decisions on the future of that project. That is what we are doing.
In relation to planning itself, Dr Foskey raised the issue of the BASIX system. I was very pleased to get a commitment from the government to fund the evaluation of BASIX as a potential tool to assess and, indeed, reduce water and energy consumption in new homes. BASIX is a system that has been demonstrated to be rigorous in its assessment process and in its science, and I am hopeful that we will be in a position to introduce BASIX as a mandatory tool to measure the energy and water efficiency of new homes in the coming year.
Of course, the Liberal Party also criticised, as is their wont, the issue of the planning system reform process. In particular, Mrs Dunne and Mr Seselja argued that nothing was happening with planning system reform. Well, I am really pleased as minister—
Mr Seselja: Sorry, when? Who said that? Sorry, I didn’t say that.
MR CORBELL: No, maybe you did not say it, Mr Seselja, but the shadow minister did. Mr Speaker, in that regard I am really pleased, as Minister for Planning, to have indicated what the government’s convictions are, and they are to improve our planning system. I outlined a very comprehensive set of proposals, which I released for public comment about a month ago. That was a very extensive system of reform—the most significant reform proposed since self-government, since the land act was passed. This government is the first government to attempt such a reform and I am proud as minister to be the person given the responsibility to do that.
No other government has done it. No other government has proposed comprehensive reform of the nature this government is proposing. This reform will lead to a complete rewriting of the land act. It will significantly, if implemented as proposed, streamline the development assessment process. For example, if you are building a new home in a new suburb and you meet the relevant guidelines, no development assessment will be required for your home. A building assessment will be required. A building application through the privatised certified system will be required but not the development application itself. This is just one example of our willingness to improve the system. It is something that we will continue to pursue, and the budget funds this very important initiative.
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