Page 2614 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 28 June 2011
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are notified of the proposal. This means many close neighbours will not receive a letter of notice. The letters, signs and notices will advise of the location of where to view the development application information.
I understand that these additional letters could add to ACTPLA’s DA costs, but I note that ACTPLA can determine the fees for DAs already, and the fees should reflect the costs of managing the DA proposal. Perhaps there could be an option for the proponent to do the letter-boxing themselves, as long as there can be proof that the job has been done.
Major public notification would be broadened to improve the signage for the DAs. I know that since the Latham notification debacle early last year, ACTPLA have made quite an effort to improve their signage. However, again, this is not in the legislation. Thus I proposed amendments to ensure that there is legislative consistency. Key changes which I would have proposed, and still would like to see, include ensuring that the signage is adequate, including text size and description of the proposal. There should be pictures on the sign representing a 3D image of the proposed development, unless of course it is just a lease variation. Signs should be displayed at all publicly visible locations where public land adjoins the property, that is, not just one sign on one side—people just miss it.
As I said earlier, I understand that the government is preparing amendments to cover off some of these issues in its next bill, and I look forward to seeing this bill in August. In conclusion, I would like to thank the government and the previous and current planning ministers for seriously investigating these issues, as I believe there are many people in Canberra who care about these issues and would like to see them better dealt with.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development, Minister for Territory and Municipal Services and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (11.13): I would like to thank Ms Le Couteur and other members for their consideration of this bill; in particular Ms Le Couteur and the Greens for withdrawing their proposed amendments to enable more detailed consideration of the pre-DA consultation issues raised in the amendments to be considered later this year.
I will return to the issue of pre-DA consultation shortly. Firstly, I would like to emphasise some of the changes enacted by this bill, the first omnibus Planning and Building Legislation Amendment Bill. This is the first of what is anticipated as semi-annual bills that are intended to ensure that the Planning and Development Act and associated building legislation are responsive to changing regulatory regimes and community requirements. It is not intended that significant policy changes are handled through these omnibus bills.
It is important that this bill passes during this sitting as clause 27 of the bill provides the ability for the contents of a DA exemption notice to be prescribed by regulation. This change will ensure that both consumers and building certifiers can be satisfied as to what must be contained in an exemption notice, and makes the issue of a DA exemption notice consistent with the issue of an exemption notice consistent with a Building Act exemption notice.
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