Page 4982 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 26 October 2011
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
by using standard safety and traffic management criteria. This type of improvement, along with improving facilities at bus stops and taxi ranks and upgrading pedestrian lighting, do not require the context of a master plan. Master plans operate at a higher and more strategic level. These plans set out objectives, principles and key initiatives that will guide the medium to long-term development and redevelopment for centres and key areas along transport corridors.
The issues raised in the motion around land use planning and identifying new development sites are issues that can be addressed through master planning. But, as I have said, the timing of any master plan for any centre needs to be considered in the context of the draft planning strategy, a priority listing across all centres and, importantly, recognition that there is not a vacuum here and that there is already a planning framework in place. We have the territory plan. It is not as if no-one has ever considered these issues. They are there within the existing territory plan, and it is in the context of change and managing changing and moving away from existing planning arrangements that you undergo a master planning process.
Mr Smyth’s motion also calls on the government to effectively ignore and postpone the immediate demand for aged care in the area. As has been identified, the block in question is intended to be sold by tender for an aged-care facility, with tenders closing on 22 November. I think there is agreement—and I note Mr Smyth even acknowledged this in his contribution—that there is, indeed, demand for aged-care accommodation in this area, particularly as the population ages.
To respond to this demand, the government is determined to release a site for aged-care accommodation. It is worth noting that the existing planning framework, block 5 section 790, is zoned for a community facility and has always been identified for this sort of use. There are a range of uses permissible within this zoning, including supportive housing and accommodation for aged persons.
It is also important to stress in the context of this debate that in preparing this site for sale, the LDA undertook a thorough site investigation and traffic impact assessment. This was to ensure that the site was capable of being developed for an aged-care facility. The site investigation reported no significant constraints for its development as an aged-care facility in accordance with the territory plan. The traffic impact assessment looked at the level of traffic that would likely be generated by such a development. It concluded that the level of traffic generated would be of an acceptable level. It found that traffic could be accommodated by the existing road network without significant effect on safety, efficiency or amenity of nearby residents.
It is worth noting that consultation on the proposed sale of this site was originally undertaken in September and October 2009, and the community supported aged care on this site noting that the nearest existing facilities were far away in Farrer and Monash. Unfortunately, after this consultation was undertaken, the commonwealth bed funding did not eventuate in 2009 or 2010. But importantly, funding has been made available this year, which is why the site is being offered to the market.
There is undoubtedly strong demand for aged accommodation within the Calwell community and, due to circumstances beyond the ACT government’s control, the sale
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video