Page 970 - Week 04 - Thursday, 7 May 2020
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MADAM SPEAKER: The minister has a minute and a half left to answer. Continue, minister.
MS BERRY: We have been working with peak bodies, who are then providing that information to their community clubs. If they are not, I will seek to ensure that that occurs.
Planning—Horse paddocks
MRS JONES: My question is to the Minister for Planning and Land Management. Minister, why did you and the government ignore the MOU with the ACT Equestrian Association which states that any changes to horse paddocks, like the north Curtin equestrian site, will be discussed with the Equestrian Association before any decisions are made regarding changes to the use of land currently used for horse agistment?
MR GENTLEMAN: I thank Mrs Jones for her question. It is an important question when we go to looking after bodies in the ACT that use our open spaces, particularly in this case. It is certainly our intention to liaise as much as possible with equestrian groups across the ACT. Indeed, that is the role of EPSDD, as the directorate involved in that case.
The decision to acquire the horse paddocks in Curtin was a matter for the federal government, exercising its powers under the Australian Capital Territory (Planning and Land Management) Act, by declaring block 4, section 106 Curtin and approximately 70 per cent of block 5, section 121 Curtin as national land for the purposes of a new diplomatic precinct.
The federal government in the past has made similar changes to the Planning and Development Act and the Territory Plan as well. So in recognition of the impact that the change will have on paddock agistees the ACT government sought agreement from the National Capital Authority to provide for an appropriate transition period for the site. As a result, the NCA has made a commitment that the horse paddocks will continue to operate with the same capacity for the next two years. In the meantime, we will work with those agistees on another opportunity, perhaps looking for another horse paddock in the ACT.
MRS JONES: Is this how you intend to treat all MOUs regarding horse paddocks and other land use MOUs this government has in place?
MR GENTLEMAN: I think in my first answer to Mrs Jones’s question I pointed out that we view the agreements between agistees, particularly the equestrian groups in the territory, and government as important memorandums of understanding. We will certainly be working with them on future opportunities for them to agist their horses. As I have just said, it was a federal government decision to acquire the land. We will certainly work as well as we can with those groups into the future.
MR MILLIGAN: Minister, why did you get involved in the secret deal to swap the north Curtin horse paddocks for West Basin, to pave paradise, without informing the citizens of this city before decisions were made?
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