Page 1345 - Week 05 - Thursday, 18 June 2020
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The government wants to continue to improve our planning system. I acknowledge that it is complex and extremely difficult to balance the conflicting views and representations that we all receive. That is why I have formed the view that improving the system requires a comprehensive strategic response to make it a world-leading system. To achieve these goals, changes to the planning process must be carefully considered, evidence based and properly implemented.
While the amendments in the bill propose changes to the ACT’s planning legislation, they offer changes in a piecemeal manner. The amendments propose incremental add-ons to the existing processes, rather than improving and simplifying the planning system in a considered and strategic manner.
Over the coming months, the government will work with Ms Le Couteur to further discuss ways that the amendments can be implemented in a strategic way to improve the ACT’s planning system. As Ms Le Couteur would be aware, the government has already introduced many improvements to the planning system during this parliamentary term. The national capital design review panel is already improving design outcomes in our city. The pre-DA consultation process means that developers have plenty of time to adapt plans to respond to community concerns at the earlier stage of the project. We have made the sale of land to community organisations more transparent as well.
The government also has substantial plans for further improvements. I will take this opportunity to provide members with an update on the ACT planning review and reform project. This project is well underway, and it will both improve and simplify our existing system. The government has a progressive and holistic approach to reforming the planning system, which I acknowledge does require some changes in order to evolve as the city continues to grow and prosper. That is why this government announced a whole-of-system review for the ACT’s planning system. The planning review and reform project is at present looking at the planning system as a whole and provides an opportunity to deliver well-considered and evidence-based legislative change.
The work done to date has focused on system structure, strategic planning, development controls, development assessment and system operation. Within these areas we are identifying gaps and deficiencies in the system and propose changes that could address those challenges and improve the planning system. The policy work that I have seen to date is reviewing the performance of the existing planning system, and benchmarking against other planning systems and feedback from users in our planning system—which is, of course, our Canberra community and local industry. I have endeavoured to see that, while planning is a technical subject, the policy work is written so that it is much more accessible to the general community.
I hope that in the coming weeks, and with further discussions with Ms Le Couteur, we are able to consider her proposals as part of a strategic and structured review and reform of the planning system, and better support the important work being undertaken by the chief planning executive and me.
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