Page 4800 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 11 November 2009
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care.” We have no justification from the government in their response to our letter. They simply argue that they need a road, the road has been planned on this alignment, they are undertaking consultation, the design meets Australian standards for road safety, and the open space area is not a formal play area. Well, we do not disagree with the fact that there is a need for a road. Even if it had been planned on that alignment in the past, the community is there now, and they have expressed their concerns. The consultation, as all consultation is with this government, was simply not genuine. Whilst I understand the Australian design standards for road safety had been met by the current alignment, it does not mean that a better option cannot be found. As for the government’s rejection that it is not a formal play area, the children and families of this community strongly disagree. In actual fact, some of the best play areas in Canberra are the ones that have developed organically rather than having been defined by a government.
When it comes down to it, this government is hiding behind bureaucratic language at the expense of what the community actually wants. Community feeling is united and strong. Some 40 or so residents within Carpentaria Street and the surrounding streets have signed a petition indicating their support for the realignment of the road.
I would now like to pay tribute to Uday Kaza, who is in the gallery today and who has done a great deal of work on behalf of his community to help ensure that their urban amenity is not adversely impacted upon by this road. Rather than roll over and simply accept a poor planning decision, Mr Kaza has stood up for best practice, for his family and his neighbours and has tried to protect his community. I commend him and his neighbours for their great work.
This year we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Legislative Assembly. In the context of this motion about planning, it is important that we remember the rationale behind the establishment of this place—that is, it was unsatisfactory that our local planning decisions and other local government decisions were being made by a bureaucracy that was not directly accountable to the people of the ACT. There was, and still is, a desire for a local say in local decision making. Before Mr Barr chimes in with his usual mantra about taking politics out of planning, what I am saying is that elected members should be responsible for long-term infrastructure planning and the framework in which this city operates. The concerned reservation for the Wells Station road is in the territory plan and, therefore, falls within the scope of elected officials to adjudicate.
I call upon the Chief Minister and the Minister for Planning to hear the community’s concerns, both directly and through the Legislative Assembly. For the government to stand in front of this community now and say their concerns will not be listened to is typical of this government and an indication of why some in the community argue that the Assembly is not doing its job properly. Two parties in the Assembly have brought this matter to the attention of the government. The community wants this matter addressed. If this matter is not addressed, it will be another failure of the government to live up to its rhetoric and a failure of this government to respect the will of the community as expressed through this Assembly.
The Land Development Agency’s catchcry of country living in the city within a natural environment will be made a mockery if this road goes ahead as proposed. I
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