Page 3420 - Week 11 - Thursday, 11 November 2021
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At its last meeting, the committee considered a position paper prepared by the Clerk in which he outlined the approach that he intended to adopt in response to the review. The committee agreed with the approach set out in the Clerk’s paper. The committee noted that the Clerk had engaged a suitably qualified consultant to work with relevant staff and to consider recommended options for the organisational structure, having regard to Dr Laing’s findings. The committee supported this approach.
The committee expects to see a revised structure from the Clerk early next year, with a view to considering a budget submission for the 2022-23 territory budget. For the information of members, I present the following paper:
Committee support—a starting point for reform—Clerk’s position paper.
Planning and Unit Titles Legislation Amendment Bill 2021
Debate resumed from 8 October 2021, on motion by Mr Gentleman:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
MR CAIN (Ginninderra) (6.33): The Canberra Liberals will be supporting the measures in this bill, particularly the streamlining and digitising of government processes. This bill makes minor amendments to three pieces of legislation, and I will step through these quickly.
The proposed amendment in this bill to the Unit Titles Regulation 2001 will streamline the process for endorsement of unit title applications. Applicants will be able to electronically submit a unit title application which can then be assessed electronically by the planning and land authority. This process is currently done manually and requires submission of hard copy applications with the applicant’s signature on every page. According to the government’s proposed amendment, it will facilitate, in part, Access Canberra’s transition to e-conveyancing, which of course the Canberra Liberals wholeheartedly support. As an aside, I would recommend to the government that it look at other intense manual processes to make them as electronic and digital as possible.
The bill also amends the Planning and Development Act 2007 relating to land management agreements. These agreements are designed to establish appropriate sustainable agricultural management practices and good farm biosecurity for the subject land while maintaining ecological and cultural values present on the land and to protect the environment from harm.
The signatory for the government is the Conservator of Flora and Fauna. The current requirement for use of an approved form, when negotiating, granting, varying or taking other actions in relation to rural leases, will be removed by this bill. Power has been granted to the conservator to make guidelines setting out the requirements for land management agreements which will be undertaken, following passage of the bill, using an electronic smart form.
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