Page 1766 - Week 06 - Thursday, 30 July 2020
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who said, in response to a journalist’s question, that people who have no garden have a right to exercise, and who said that the Victorian charter of human rights is clear that if you are not giving people an option to exercise, then you are effectively putting them in prison. I understand that we are living in extraordinary times, but I am not sure that heaps of people are thinking “compact” at this stage of the game.
The land release policies under this Labor-Greens government are a policy failure on the grandest scale. Of course, I could not help mentioning Mr Stanhope again. The way I think of it, Madam Assistant Speaker, is that he is trying to be the conscience of the Labor Party. He is trying, but they are not listening.
How bizarre is it when his comments and his common sense are much more in alignment with the policies and principles of the Canberra Liberals than of ACT Labor? It just shows how much Labor has simply become a Greens-like party and has lost touch with everyday Canberrans. There is a better way. We will not be supporting Mr Barr’s amendment.
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Manager of Government Business, Minister for Advanced Technology and Space Industries, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Minister for Planning and Land Management, Minister for Police and Emergency Services and Minister for Urban Renewal) (3.49): I welcome the opportunity to talk about the government’s land release program and how this assists in having a sustainable city.
Since the release of the ACT planning strategy in 2018, the government has consistently signalled its commitment to plan the city to balance a growing population and a high quality of living, while protecting the landscape setting, and creating accessible and friendly spaces that connect people and promote healthy communities. Better managing and restricting the outward spread of our urban footprint limits the impact on the environment and better connects people to their jobs and to each other.
The ACT government is responding to population growth by supporting growth and development in and around key centres and along major transport routes, such as along the light rail corridor between the Gungahlin town centre and the city centre. This allows our suburbs to keep their low-rise character and prevents urban sprawl.
We are continually thinking of ways that we can improve the planning system. Right now there is a major review of our entire planning system underway, with a view to key areas for reform. It is holistic and integrated, rather than tinkering with elements in a piecemeal fashion that progressively erodes the integrity of the system. The review and reform project aims to deliver a planning system that is clear, easy to use, and that facilitates the realisation of long-term aspirations for the growth and development of Canberra while maintaining its valued character.
The indicative land release program is a vital tool in implementing the desired growth and settlement patterns of our city by establishing a program of land supply and release. The ACT government is always working on a forward program of land release to make sure that the program responds to circumstances forecast for the next few years.
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