Page 2474 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 1 August 2018
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agency, and all risk assessment made or received by the government agency in relation to the acquisition. If the acquirer is the territory authority, the report must set out how the acquisition upholds the statement of intent under the Financial Management Act 1996 for the territory authority. Furthermore the report must include anything prescribed by regulation. If the land was acquired for public housing, the suburb of the acquisition is the only detail that is required with regard to its location.
After consultation with the government, we have included different reporting requirements for easements. These are lower reporting thresholds which reflect the minor and necessary nature of easements in the planning context. A report for easements includes: identifying the particulars of the land; the government agency that acquired the land; the seller, if it is a corporation or other body; the method of acquisition; compensation paid in relation to the acquisition; and information considered during the acquisition, such as valuations. This streamlined reporting will assist the public service administratively and allow large volumes of information to be reported without undue burden.
Clause 10 sets out additional reporting requirements if the acquirer is the City Renewal Authority. In relation to acquisitions made by the CRA, the report must additionally explain how the acquisition complies with directions made under the CRA and SLA Act, the objects and functions of the authority, the statement of expectations, statement of operational intent, and anything else prescribed by regulation.
Similar additional reporting requirements apply if the acquirer is the Suburban Land Agency. In relation to acquisitions made by the SLA, the report must additionally explain how the acquisition complies with directions made under the CRA and SLA act, the objects and functions of the authority, and anything prescribed by legislation.
Clause 12 provides that this act is in addition to the requirements of any other territory law, and that if a minister is required to prepare a report about the acquisition of land, the minister may prepare a report that complies with this act and the other law.
The bill also makes changes to the CRA and SLA act 2017. Clause 12 omits sections 13 and 43 of that act as the proposed bill has higher reporting requirements and applies to acquisitions by the CRA and SLA.
Once again I wish to reiterate that this bill is not onerous. This bill ensures that there is some transparency with regard to government land deals. This is not going to fix all the integrity problems that this government has but at least it will give Canberrans some visibility about the property deals that are taking place.
The quarterly reports simply require the publication of the due diligence that any Canberran would expect to be undertaken before public money is spent. This is an effective mechanism that allows for multiple levels of scrutiny. This quarterly report process is an extension of current legislative probity requirements like those in the CRA and SLA act. It is a reasonable response to extend the scrutiny and probity to encompass all land acquisitions made by the territory and its entities.
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