Page 306 - Week 01 - Thursday, 16 February 2012
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Council, such unanticipated holding costs are typically passed on to the end consumer—that is, the homeowner. Such an increase in costs has its own impact on local housing markets.
The government has sought to reduce the potential for delay and uncertainty through this regulation. The regulation means that development can proceed in the knowledge that there will not be third-party ACAT merit review. It means that the developer and wider community can proceed with confidence that there will not be unanticipated delays due to the ACAT’s process, preliminary proceedings and final hearings. A development approval, once granted, will take effect immediately, subject to any approval conditions.
This regulation also means that the developer and the wider community can proceed with confidence in relation to the interpretation of the territory plan. The regulation means that the financial resources that are inevitably involved in any such proceedings, including the resources of the development industry and of government, can be redirected to other, more useful purposes.
This is a limited and targeted measure. It does what it does without impacting on other procedures, on other areas of community participation. For example, the regulation does not affect the ability of the broader community to comment on planning proposals, including variations to the territory plan and the master planning process.
The particular importance and effectiveness of community consultation on the Kingston foreshore is indicated by the extensive and successful consultation exercise that has occurred to date. Some members will be familiar with this exhausting process, which commenced in 1995 and took until June 2010, through variation 113 to the territory plan, to complete. This highlights that this precinct is, indeed, an extensively master planned precinct—and one which has seen significant, detailed and lengthy public discussion and consultation before the planning rules have been set.
Of course, community consultation about the future development of the Kingston foreshore continues. Community consultation is now focused on the proposed master plan for the cultural precinct at Kingston. And of course we are aware that there is an inquiry of this place into the future use of the Fitters Workshop in the Kingston arts precinct.
The extent of community consultation to date and the relatively low number of third-party applications for ACAT merit review in recent years are one indicator that planning outcomes are reasonably well accepted and understood.
In making these comments, I would like to acknowledge that there have been discussions and concerns expressed by different community groups and individuals as to the planning outcomes for the Fitters Workshop in the Kingston foreshore cultural precinct. This is clearly an area of ongoing concern to different community groups and the focus of divergent and strongly held views. It is likely that any further development of the rest of the cultural precinct may raise similar strong debates.
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