Page 2521 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 15 November 1989
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I had informal talks with Mr Ossie Kleinig of CARD. I commend my motion to the Assembly.
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister) (10.47): The Government regards Mr Moore's proposal, that an environmental advisory council be established, as a highly constructive contribution to the current discussion about the way in which planning, development and environmental concerns should be handled in the future in the ACT. Members will be aware that the Government has released a consultation paper which contains proposals for an integrated planning, environment protection, heritage and leasing system for the ACT. Drafting instructions for the proposed legislation have also been distributed as an additional aid in that consultation process.
Mr Moore's motion is particularly relevant because it relates closely to one of the Government's major objectives in putting forward its proposed system. That objective is to ensure that environmental and other considerations are carefully and systematically taken into account in the planning and development of Canberra. The proposal for the creation of an environmental advisory council has particular implications for a significant element of the Government's planning and land use proposals, that is the proposed inquiries and environment assessment Bill.
It is against that background that the Government originally felt that the precise wording of Mr Moore's motion may not have given sufficient regard to the fact that the content of the proposed inquiries and environment assessment Bill is at this moment the subject of consultation both with the public generally and with Assembly members. Mr Moore has fully acknowledged in proposing his motion that this process of consultation is under way and that his motion is indeed an interim measure, a trial measure, if you like, and should not be seen to be pre-empting the results of our consultative process.
Members might find it useful if I were to briefly explain the Government's thinking in relation to environment protection and indicate how an environmental advisory council such as we are considering today might fit into that framework. The Government has put forward an overall planning and land use system which seeks to maximise certainty regarding the outcome of decisions once they are made. At the same time it is seeking to ensure that planning, development and related decisions are informed by comprehensive public consultation and investigation of the impacts of proposals. So, put simply, the system should ensure that all relevant considerations are taken into account prior to decision making and that, once such decisions are made, there exists a high degree of certainty regarding their implementation.
Clearly, such an approach makes it essential that the system is able to expertly identify proposals which require prior evaluation in relation to their environmental and
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