Page 732 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 8 April 2014
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This is an important win which provides a more transparent and respectful process that means that heritage will continue to be evaluated using HERCON criteria and should protect many heritage sites.
The Greens will be supporting this bill today in principle. As I indicated to members when I emailed them last night, I will move during the detail stage that the bill be referred to the planning committee. I have proposed the committee process to give an opportunity for members of the community to provide more detailed input and for the Assembly to examine this legislation in more detail.
I note that there is a short time frame for this committee inquiry in order to ensure that we can get on with the secure mental health unit. When the legislation was first introduced on 20 March I immediately contacted a range of community organisations, informing them of the legislation and sharing my analysis of it. I received very limited feedback, and the feedback I got supported the approach in principle. Nonetheless, over the last two days I have received a lot more feedback, specifically regarding the detail. Given that level of interest that has arisen now, I think it is worthwhile to have the committee examine this.
I have consulted with the Chief Minister and she has advised that this will have minimal impact on the timetable for the secure mental health unit. On that basis I ask members to support the committee referral as I think it will provide an opportunity for both this Assembly and members of the public to understand the detail more clearly as people feel that there is scope and necessity for that to be worked on. I think that is a worthwhile process.
I note that the Canberra Liberals are opposing the bill, but I reiterate that taking proposals to the floor of the Assembly is far more democratic than a single minister calling a project in. There are times when there are strategic values and benefits in having a project go ahead more quickly than might be the case if it went through the normal planning processes and a long series of appeals. As leaders in this community it is honest for us to come into this place, use the process now being proposed and say, “As your elected representatives, we are taking a decision that for the overall benefit of the community, this is a project that should get this special process applied to it.” That is why this legislation is an improvement on the current process and why I will be supporting it today in principle.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations and Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development) (11.04), in reply: I thank members for their comments on this bill. This bill is designed to give certainty to priority development in the territory. It is also a critical part of the government’s stimulus package recently announced by the Chief Minister and will help with construction in our city through what will be difficult economic times in the months and potentially years ahead.
Other elements of the stimulus package released by the Chief Minister include, of course, the release of large-scale civil contracts for estate works in the new suburb of
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