Page 1348 - Week 05 - Thursday, 18 June 2020
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particularly in the planning sphere, as a crossbencher. I readily acknowledge that, while my staff are wonderful, I do not have quite as many of them as ACTPLA has. It really is hard for a crossbencher to draft significant planning legislation, which is why I have chosen a very small canvas in this bit of legislation.
I call on all members to back their local communities by supporting this bill. The other thing that I would like to talk briefly about is climate change, because my bill talks about that. It is probably a good time to talk about it, in so far as we have just noted, through Mr Gentleman, a Territory Plan variation which stops the mandatory provision of gas to all new suburbs. That is a great Territory Plan variation. It is something that we desperately need to do if we are to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, but it highlights the fact that the planning system is very relevant to and responsible for greenhouse gas emissions in Canberra. If we truly want to become a net zero emitting territory, we have to make sure that our planning system is consistent with that. There are lots of things in it that need to change. Given the limitations of a crossbench MLA, I have not sought to do all of the things that will be needed.
Unfortunately, emissions are not addressed at all in our current planning system. You have to hope that what we are building now will last for at least 50 years, or maybe 100 years. If the world, as a whole, does not get to net zero emissions, or probably, in fact, actual carbon sequestration, the climate will be so different and the world will be so different that this debate will not even be academic. My bill took a modest first step towards doing this. Currently, amazingly as it may seem, the planning and development legislation does not talk about emissions. It should. That is a major omission which my bill would have started to address.
I understand that the ALP will seek to adjourn the detail stage of this debate to allow discussions between the three parties on potential amendments to my bill. The Greens will support this motion, on the understanding that it will, in fact, be a genuine opportunity for the parties to work together to get the best outcome for the community and the environment.
As I have said to the ALP and the Liberal Party privately, and I am happy to say it again, I am really happy to work with both parties to get this bill as well written as possible, so that as much as possible of it can be passed and there are no unintended side effects. I urge all members to support this bill in principle. I thank them for that support, which I believe will be forthcoming, and I look forward to seeing a significant part—hopefully, all of the bill—finally passed before the end of this term of the Assembly.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
Detail stage
Clause 1.
Debate (on motion by Mr Gentleman) adjourned to the next sitting.
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