Page 321 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 9 February 2021

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video


MRS KIKKERT: Minister, why did it take so long for the government to deliver on this promise?

MR GENTLEMAN: The corrections inspector gave his report on 3 December 2020. We will be tabling the response this month.

Planning—Chisholm

MR PARTON: Madam Speaker, my question is to the Minister for Planning and Land Management. Minister, I refer to a petition tabled by your colleague Joy Burch MLA in this place in August 2020 relating to the proposed development of a McDonald’s in Chisholm village. Minister, given your colleague’s strong stance against this proposed development, will you overrule the ACT planning and land authority’s decision and stop this development from going ahead or, at the very least, not sign off on the sale of the toilet block?

MR GENTLEMAN: The decision was that of ACAT, not of the planning authority. It resulted in an approval of the development application, subject to a sale of public unleased land attached to the development proposal. I will not be commenting while there is a live proposal in for a sale of public attached land, unleased land.

MR PARTON: Minister, what correspondence or contact, if any, have you had with your colleague Joy Burch MLA about the proposed development?

MR GENTLEMAN: Madam Speaker, I think the only contact and correspondence I brought to you was the outcome of the ACAT case.

MS LAWDER: Minister, what does it say about your leadership as a minister if your own colleagues cannot get you to listen to them on an issue they personally campaigned on during the recent election?

MR GENTLEMAN: Madam Speaker, I think that was a question asking for an opinion. That is not within the standing orders.

Planning—territory records

MS LAWDER: My question is to the Minister for Planning and Land Management. Minister, can you explain how a series of territory records, which pictured historic architectural plans of Canberra amongst other things, were almost illegally sold off at auction recently?

MR GENTLEMAN: I understand that, in the movement of EPSDD from Dame Pattie Menzies House to the new complex at 420 Northbourne Avenue, a number of—if you like—accessories were put up for sale. Of course, once the directorate understood that this was an inadvertent error, it removed those from sale.

MS LAWDER: Minister, is this what your government calls ensuring the safekeeping and proper preservation of its records, as outlined in the Territory Records Act?


Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video