Page 1524 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 10 May 2017
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I rise today to speak to the motion I put forward in regard to community facility zoned land. It is a very important issue in regard to what is permissible for the government to include on community facility zoned land and is the subject of a lot of current debate in our community.
If we could go back and look at the reasons why we have zoning laws, they are there to improve the public health, safety, convenience and welfare of our citizens. They help us to plan for the future development of communities; to develop new community centres with adequate utility, health, educational and recreational facilities; to recognise the needs of industry and business for future growth; to provide residential areas with healthy surroundings for family life; and to ensure that the growth of the community is in accordance with the efficient and economical use of public funds.
The planning act explanatory statement from 2007 explains the importance of proper planning:
… the planning and development of the ACT provide the people of the ACT with an attractive, safe and efficient environment in which to live, work and have their recreation.
These are the underpinnings of why we have zoning laws in the first place. They are an important way that the government can promote the health, safety and general welfare of the community, protect and conserve the value of buildings and encourage the most appropriate use of the land. In practice, zoning is also used to prevent new development interfering with existing users and/or preserve the character of a community.
CF zones, community facility zones, are an important part of communities. People want and expect to have some community facilities near them and the way that our suburbs are designed generally allows for that. We have often heard the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child,” and if people are looking for a place to raise a family they want to make sure they have an area with community zones nearby for their children or even their pets to grow and flourish. That is why I chose to raise my family in Tuggeranong, because there are many community facilities nearby—schools, places of worship, recreation areas, parks and playgrounds—and it worries me that there is the potential that my grandchildren growing up will not have the same access to community facilities as my children have had.
Under the zoning laws, community facility zones include things like—and I will just pick out a couple because there is quite a long list—places of worship, childcare centres, libraries, outdoor recreation facilities and green spaces.
There are other types of zones: industrial zones and residential zones. For example, under an industrial zone you might be able to build something like—I will just pick out a few—a car park, a defence installation, a freight transport facility, a hazardous waste facility, light industry, a transport depot or a warehouse. Of course, any of these,
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