Page 406 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 21 February 1990
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speak to them personally and make an appointment. But, as far as I am aware, I have had no communication from them so far.
Planning
MR WHALAN: My question is of the Chief Minister. On 14 February, in response to a question concerning the relative roles of the Commonwealth and the territorial governments in relation to planning matters in the ACT, you said, inter alia:
If you like, we are in a negotiating position, we are in a state of dialogue, and that will continue, as far as I am concerned, until the interests of the Territory are properly represented in the outcome.
By what standards will you determine that the interests of the Territory are properly represented in the outcome? If in the final analysis these standards are not met, what steps will you then take?
MR KAINE: I think Mr Whalan is asking me to be specific about something that neither he nor I could ever be quite explicit about. The Commonwealth has put in place a planning authority with certain powers, and that authority has moved to put in place a National Capital Plan.
There are things about both the initial establishment of the planning authority and its autonomous powers with which this Government disagrees, and there are things about the proposed National Capital Plan with which this Government disagrees. We will continue to negotiate on both of those issues in the expectation of striking a proper balance between the interests of the national capital, on the one hand, and the interests of the people who live here, on the other. Until the negotiations are complete - and you can never foretell the outcome of negotiations until they are completed - I cannot predict the outcome. I am not a clairvoyant; neither is Mr Whalan. We will do the best that we can in the interests of this community.
MR WHALAN: I wish to ask a supplementary question. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, would you consider legal action against the Commonwealth?
MR KAINE: That was a rather curious question, Mr Speaker. As I understand it - perhaps Mr Whalan is better informed than I am, although I doubt it - the National Capital Plan and the National Capital Planning Authority have certain powers, and there is no provision for appeal by this Government or anybody else. It has to be a negotiated solution.
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