Page 4140 - Week 13 - Thursday, 14 December 2006
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Key steps in the reform process have been:
• an examination of existing legislation, the territory plan and other policies and guidelines;
• an analysis of the current system as against the systems in other jurisdictions;
• identification of options for reform; and
• an analysis of the impacts of the detailed package of reforms and three tranches of short-term processes and practice reforms.
Mr Speaker, I will not today go into the detail of the consultation process that has been undertaken to date. I think it has been well outlined to date. I will now turn to the key changes that are being put in place through this legislation.
When I announced the package of legislation in December last year, I said that the government’s reforms will make planning in the ACT simpler, faster and more effective because the policies and rules will be clarified, unnecessary approvals will be removed and acceptable change brought about by development will be more clearly defined.
One of the direct impacts of the change is that buyers of new single residences in greenfield sites such as Gungahlin will save themselves time and money. An estimated 1,500 new homes will be exempt from development approval fees, which are calculated based on the cost of the development, and other associated costs of about $350 each. Other reforms removing the need for building permits for some minor work could save home owners up to $1,000 on such work.
The main reforms that will be delivered as part of the package are:
• increasing the number of developments that do not need development approval, such as new single residences in greenfield sites and small structures, including garages, sheds and pergolas;
• better focused consultation, public notification and third-party appeal processes;
• introducing clear assessment tracks for different types of development;
• closer integration of leasing and development assessment so that the planning system operates more efficiently;
• simplifying and clarifying land uses as set out in the territory plan and consolidating codes that regulate development;
• retaining concessional leases and making the process more accountable; and
• introducing a transparent environmental impact assessment process, targeted at developments with significant environmental impact.
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