Page 1276 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 23 August 1989
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current legislation is that the metropolitan policy plan overrides the more detailed plans which have been subsequently developed. Many proposals which are now at risk were the subject of normal consultative processes and took account of the public comments received.
An appeal by Concrete Constructions against Mr Justice Kelly's decision has now been lodged. The Government will support arguments by Concrete Constructions that the appeal should be heard expeditiously because of our concern about the decision and its possible implications for the local economy. Additionally, as I foreshadowed in the Assembly yesterday, we are moving urgently to put planning procedures in the ACT on a better footing.
Planning procedures currently used in the ACT have been the subject of regular public criticism over the past few years. The legacy of Commonwealth legislation at the time of self-government has exacerbated these problems, and this has occurred at a time when construction activity has already been reduced significantly. I believe that we can no longer afford to continue with a system which allows planning matters to be fought out in the Supreme Court.
One of the highest priorities for the Government is the introduction of comprehensive and comprehensible planning, heritage and environment legislation. As you know, I have given an undertaking to make public the principles which will form the planning legislation, by October this year. This timetable is somewhat shorter than I had originally envisaged, but this is really a reflection of the ability of an ACT government to respond to rising demand much more quickly than the Commonwealth ever could. We need to get some certainty back into planning and investment processes.
The Territory's new planning system is evolving in an environment of continued change to a wide range of interrelated elements. This has the positive benefit of providing the opportunity of reviewing the whole system and provides scope for simplifying and integrating planning legislation. The Government recognises that planning is about more than land use. It is about developing a safe, efficient and attractive environment in which people can live, work and spend their leisure, and about the wise use of resources, including land. This means that the planning system needs to encompass more than just physical planning.
Some of the challenges the new system must address are to allow for adequate public consultation and effective decision making. The process must provide an opportunity for community input. At the same time, our legislation must avoid the risks of unnecessary delays, increased costs and reduced confidence in the planning system by private enterprise. Important elements in the future planning system include the need to sensitively handle future urban change and redevelopment, the ability to respond to technological change - for example, the very fast train - and the use of the planning process to promote the well-being of Canberra residents.
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