Page 1720 - Week 05 - Thursday, 11 May 2017
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back and address this—delivering “value for money” would bring into the statutory framework a value judgement that is properly made by government, through the priorities and projects assigned under the statement of expectations, and it would not be left to statutory interpretation. Having said that, if it is the will of the Assembly to change these words, the government can live with that, but I foreshadow that it may at some point in the future require revisiting.
MR COE (Yerrabi—Leader of the Opposition) (4.18): The opposition will be supporting this amendment.
Amendment agreed to.
Clause 8, as amended, agreed to.
Clause 9.
MR BARR (Kurrajong—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development and Minister for Tourism and Major Events) (4.19): I move amendment No 2 circulated in my name [see schedule 2 at page 1772]. This amendment inserts “sustainable” into the functions of the CRA so that it may support the high quality design, planning and delivery of sustainable urban renewal. I commend the amendment to the Assembly.
MS LE COUTEUR (Murrumbidgee) (4.19): I thank the Chief Minister for moving this amendment. The Greens and the Labor Party have had extensive discussions about this legislation and I am very pleased that a large number of the suggestions that we put forward as potential amendments have been adopted by the Labor Party and will be moved by the Chief Minister. I am really pleased that we have had this collaborative and positive outcome.
The Greens felt that the original version of the bill did not address environmental sustainability issues adequately. For instance, there is no object for the SLA that relates to environmentally sustainable development. Given that the SLA will do development over considerable areas of the ACT, it is essential that environmental sustainability is one of its objects. We can all think of things from a greenhouse point of view, from a biodiversity point of view or from a water pollution point of view. I could go on forever but, given the time, I will not.
The amendment inserts a requirement for the Suburban Land Agency to encourage and promote environmental sustainability. It will now be required to consider environmental sustainability in the way it develops suburban land. Mr Barr has also proposed inserting a requirement that the CRA engage in sustainable urban renewal, which, of course, we support as well.
Together with our own amendments that require the SLA and the CRA to support the ACT legislated greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and to deliver environmentally sustainable development, Mr Barr’s amendment should now make environmentally sustainable development a core component of the SLA and CRA’s operations. The Greens wholeheartedly support the amendment.
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