Page 3638 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 27 October 2015
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Under section 73 of the Planning and Development Act I have chosen to exercise my discretion to not refer the draft variation to the Standing Committee on Planning, Environment and Territory and Municipal Services. I believe the issues raised in the submissions have either been adequately addressed or are matters for the future as part of the development application, and as such there are no outstanding issues.
In making this decision I took into consideration advice from Icon Water concerning the Lower Molonglo Water Quality Control Centre and the technical expertise of the ACT Environment Protection Authority. I also took into consideration the extensive community and stakeholder consultation that was undertaken by the proponent to determine the concerns relating to the future development as well as the extensive work undertaken to resolve the issues raised. This process has been recognised by some as being best practice in the ACT.
I also took into consideration the extensive community and stakeholder consultation, dating back to 2010, that was undertaken by the proponent to determine the concerns relating to the future development as well as the extensive work undertaken to resolve the issues raised.
In particular, the consultation by the proponent included regular newsletters on the project that were distributed to households in Belconnen and, in February 2014, opening an office at Kippax Fair, where interested parties were encouraged to drop in and discuss the development. From February 2014 to July 2015 approximately 2,500 people had visited the shopfront and inquired about the development. This process has been recognised by some as again being best practice for the ACT.
It is also important to note that the development and extension of Ginninderra Drive to service the development are subject to strategic assessment under the commonwealth’s EPBC Act 1999. As such, from an environmental and conservation perspective, the extent of the development is subject to further review and approval by the commonwealth Department of the Environment. Subsequent ACT environmental approvals will also be required.
Given the process that has been undertaken to date, during both pre-consultation and the statutory consultation, and taking into account that future consultation processes will occur for the development applications for the estate subdivision, I believe a standing committee inquiry process is not necessary in this place.
I do hope that other proponents will look to the engagement and consultation model that has been undertaken for the Riverview development and that this becomes business as usual for proposals waiting to undertake large-scale developments of such significance to the community. The message I would like to give is that if you do the work up-front and you do it well, when it comes time for government to make decisions, those proponents can take some certainty that we too will get on with the job.
Accordingly, I have approved variation to the territory plan 351 for west Belconnen and table it, as I have said, and I look forward to the development commencing in this area in the coming years.
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