Page 3337 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 17 August 2011
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That is a poor outcome and that kind of logic takes us to a dangerous place, Madam Deputy Speaker. This has long been reserved for development. It has been studied very closely. There are reserves within these areas in order to recognise the environmental value. But to take such a wide view of that and now to say that we should not even be developing this suburb at all, I think, is completely the wrong way to go.
We have recognised the environmental values. There have been ample studies which have looked at it. As we always do in the ACT, we find a good balance between the needs of the community for more housing, the needs of the community for affordable housing, with the desire of the community to have open space and the need to protect important environmental values. We do that, we have done that and it has been studied to death.
Now the Greens are seeking to take us down a path that would eventually mean that we would not develop this suburb at all. That is their end goal as stated by Mr Rattenbury today and that is a goal we do not agree with. These are moves we will not support. We believe that the planning studies and the environmental studies have been done and will be done. Further studies will be done without this motion. We do not need to move down a path where we seek to prevent any and all development from happening in Throsby with all of the negative consequences for the people of Gungahlin, with all of the negative consequences for housing affordability. That is something we will not support.
The Canberra Liberals will not support these moves by the Labor Party and the Greens to again make it more difficult to develop in Gungahlin. We will not support this as a precursor to preventing the future expansion of road networks for the people of Gungahlin. The people of Gungahlin have copped it for too long from this kind of delay and what we are seeing here is again an attempt to delay which will affect Gungahlin residents for years to come. Mark my words: this is the beginning of a fight where the people of Gungahlin are going to cop it again from the Greens and, it seems, from the Labor Party. We will not stand for it and we will not support this motion.
MS LE COUTEUR (Molonglo) (11.08): I thank my colleague Mr Rattenbury for bringing forward this motion. I would suggest to Mr Seselja that he actually read the motion. The motion does not talk about roads in Gungahlin. It does not talk about development in Gungahlin. This motion is about protecting the environmental value of the parts surrounding the built-up areas of Canberra that have not been built up. That is what it is about. It is about protecting our local environment.
Members interjecting—
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Members, we are not having a conversation across the chamber. Ms Le Couteur has the floor.
MS LE COUTEUR: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. It is not in any way intended to be negative towards the appropriate development of Gungahlin or the
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