Page 3918 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 25 August 2010
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I find it interesting in my role that I now get representations from people who have moved into multiunit developments that replaced single dwelling houses opposing any further multiunit developments in the area. So now they are there, they are happy, they are fine, no-one else can move in. The same objections were received from people who lived in single-housing dwellings at the time who had multiunit development occur next to them. It is such a dynamic environment, and we do have to account for that spectrum.
There are different opinions. If you asked me, as a 23-year-old, what my views were on the vibrancy of living in a suburb like Braddon, I would have perhaps a very different view from the 37-year-old who now lives in Dickson. People’s views change over time. People’s priorities change as they age and as they move through the lifecycle.
Having said that, I just do not believe, four years into my time as a member of this place, that it is possible to reach the planning nirvana that Ms Le Couteur seems to be seeking. Having said that, I do not want to say that you should not always strive to do better. But, again, as in everything in planning, there is a series of trade-offs.
Ms Le Couteur has indicated in conversation with me on many issues that the time for action is now and that we must be responding on solar access and a range of things. So we go away and do the work, we put something out, we spend years developing it, we have a year-long conversation on sustainable futures, we involve as many people as will turn up to put forward a draft. And then the consultation on the draft is not good enough, knowing of course that that has got to go through another round of consultation and then another round and then another round.
Even if this moved at breakneck speed, we would not have a final variation on 301 or 303 through this place possibly until the first half of 2012. If the planning committee takes its full six months and then the government take three months to respond, as we are in this process, we are in the first half of 2012, I imagine, before the Assembly will finally take a vote on 301 and 303.
This process began way back in 2004, with the spatial planning work, and then it was continued through the changes to the Planning and Development Act that was further refined. And that process, through the sustainable futures workshops and all of that effort and intellectual rigour that were put into that process then led to a draft variation that we have got eight weeks to talk about, then have a consultation report on it, then refer it to the planning and environment committee, then have another debate about what that committee says. That committee will, I anticipate, have public hearings. There will be a lot to comment on this. There is a variety of views.
I think, from some shaking of Ms Le Couteur’s head through some of what I said, that she would like to see more advocacy for elements of 301 and 303. Yes, it is complex and, yes, there are a number of issues for people to address and for people to consider. And we do intend, as we have from the beginning of this process and all the way through, to provide opportunities to explain, to talk to people. Other organisations will do so as well.
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