Page 2608 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 28 June 2011
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My colleague Mr Barr, as the then Minister for Planning, responded to the Assembly motion on master plans. In his speech he set out the government’s priority list of master plans and how the program would be managed over the ensuing years.
Through the process of preparing master plans, the issues and the opportunities for reinvigorating our centres, improving accesses to services and enhancing the intrinsic quality of a place can be canvassed with the community. Master plans are a key planning tool that help us to understand and manage change in our urban environment. Master plans will be an important tool in helping to realise the community’s preferred “future scenario”—a vision that was established through broad public engagement in the “time to talk: Canberra 2030” exercise.
As Minister Barr raised in his speech, the government has evaluated the 2004 Canberra plan and, in response to the community’s concerns raised in “time to talk”, is revising the planning strategy. Minister Barr has also indicated that this would provide the context for considering the future program of master plans.
It is important that I reiterate this message. The revised planning strategy will provide the community with the overarching direction we must take our city in in order for it to become more sustainable, resilient to climate change and socially inclusive and economically prosperous. This strategy will give the community greater clarity on how we can manage the broader, complex and interrelated issues of population growth, efficient use of land, improving options for more sustainable transport and taking a leading role in the region.
It is critical that this revised strategy provide the context for the community to provide feedback on where the priorities for more detailed planning should be. When the community have this more meaningful opportunity to consider what areas are important to achieve their preferred scenario, the program for rolling out the master plans can be established. As it is important that not all activity is suspended until the program has been established, it is intended that the priority list for 2011-12 include Oaks Estate, Cooleman Court and Athllon Drive.
But I do need to stress that there has been considerable success and progress in the government’s master planning program. Dickson and Kingston are now complete. As with all planning exercises, I acknowledge that they do not meet everyone’s absolute wish list, but the consultative process achieved consensus and the plans provide a good basis for guiding change.
Through the master planning process we have been seeking to adapt and improve our public engagement. The process has become iterative, seeking to identify the community’s issues and their response to early proposals. The process is also trying to actively seek the views of different groups, including young people. The Tuggeranong and Erindale planning processes have really forged this interaction and built on the work for the Gungahlin town centre, the subject of draft variation 300. Early in the process, it was established that these centres need to be considered together. This means that the finalisation of the Erindale master plan has been delayed.
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