Page 1009 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 25 February 2009
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currently being pursued by ACTPLA. I would have to ask them to abandon all other master planning that they are doing and give this priority over and above everything else. And that just simply is not reasonable. It has been suggested to me by officials that we could conclude a master plan by December. I think that is a bit tight.
I have circulated an amendment which asks for an extension of the date for the completion of a planning study. I will conclude on that. Is the government prepared to accept essentially the issue as an issue that the government needs to grapple with? I accept it in relation to this site specifically. I have asked officials to provide me with a process that identifies sites such as this and I think they are probably going to be infill or suburban sites. But I do need to signal that I do not believe that the government should be asked to accept this same stringency in relation to the vast majority of its land release sales. But I accept that.
I have received the same representations as Mrs Dunne, and the representations are well made. Having said that, as they have to Mrs Dunne, they have also indicated to me and Ms Porter, as I understand it, that the majority of retailers and owners—and Mrs Dunne makes this point too—would prefer to see this sale proceed but they just want some certainty on its implications. But there is a strong degree of support within the Hawker shopping centre for additional development because it will enhance the site.
Mrs Dunne: Do you want to move this now?
MR STANHOPE: Yes, I will take this opportunity now to move the amendment circulated in my name. And I will conclude. I move:
Omit paragraph (2)(b), substitute:
“(b) complete the planning study and table it in the Legislative Assembly by the first sitting day in December 2009.”.
MS LE COUTEUR (Molonglo) (4.06): I was going to speak on the substantive motion, which I understand I should do next, given what—
MR SPEAKER: You can speak on both now, if you wish.
MS LE COUTEUR: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I rise to find myself largely agreeing with both of the previous speakers. We also have received representations from residents of Hawker that it was not consultation; to just have a signpost up was not a reasonable process. And basically I would have to agree substantively with what Mrs Dunne said about the process in Hawker. It may or may not in the long run be good changes but there certainly has not been adequate consultation. Equally though, I have quite some sympathy with the Chief Minister’s statements about the impossibility of consulting on every single land sale.
Part of the agreement between the Labor Party and the Greens said that we would reinstitute neighbourhood planning. The whole idea of neighbourhood planning, or master planning, was to reduce, or hopefully eliminate, these sorts of circumstances.
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