Page 168 - Week 02 - Thursday, 25 May 1989
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I also wish to say that it is quite clear to me that issues of conservation, heritage and environment come within the purview of the committee already established on planning, development and infrastructure. It is crucial that issues of heritage and environment be treated as an integrated matter with planning. If you are to separate the issues out, marginalise the issue of heritage, then we will continue to have the sort of inadequate servicing of heritage matters that has been the hallmark of planning in the ACT. It is essential that those matters be integrated. I would suggest that the most effective way of integrating the policies and the most efficient way of servicing our committee structure is to leave to the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Committee the questions of conservation, heritage and environment.
MR COLLAERY (12.05): I rise to support my colleague Mr Kaine. The Rally endorses this motion, of course. We want to take up the Chief Minister's comments in this Assembly because in the light of day, when read in Hansard, they will be seen to be what they are. What we have today is the concept of open government, which was promised by the ALP, being prised off and taken out of the ALP. That is sad and it is unfortunate.
The Chief Minister mentioned that a casino review committee had already been established, but that is a short-life committee. The Chief Minister also said that these issues of environment, conservation and heritage would be taken up in one of the planning committee functions that she alluded to.
Of course, the very problems that have occurred in this town result from the subordination of heritage, conservation and environment to the planning function in the pyramidal structure of the ACT Administration. One of the major problems has been the subordination of the Heritage Committee and the like. Good though those people have been on those committees, it must be said that it has been subordinate. We addressed the Assembly yesterday and pointed out that we were disappointed with the lack of breadth of concern in the planning function in the ACT. Here was the chance for the Chief Minister to put into effect what she said only a few days ago. It is very regrettable from the Rally's point of view that, in what we hoped was a collegiate atmosphere on these issues at least where there is widespread community involvement, we do not have the Chief Minister's support. The rush of blood to the head that occurred in the last ten days amongst our minority government should now settle. I think that the virtue of today's events will be to bring the Labor Party to the realisation that - - -
Ms Follett: I rise on a point of order. I do not believe that these remarks are relevant to the motion that we are debating.
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