Page 39 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 16 February 1993
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PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE -
STANDING COMMITTEE
Report on Draft Variations to the Territory Plan
MR LAMONT (4.36): I present report No. 10 of the Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Infrastructure on the draft variations to the Territory Plan: Curtin, section 63, blocks 5 and 6; Mawson, section 45, block 24; and Phillip, section 53, block 1, together with a copy of the extracts of the draft minutes of proceedings. This report was provided to the Speaker for circulation on Friday, 12 February 1993, pursuant to the resolution of appointment. I move:
That the report be noted.
Two of these variations are fairly standard variations. One is to allow the continuation of a doctor's surgery in a residential area at Mawson. An approved interim variation had been in force for 10 years in respect of section 45, block 24 at Mawson. The committee believed that it was appropriate that a formal variation be granted to allow the doctor's surgery to continue. Indeed, the committee was interested to note that the only comments received by the ACT Planning Authority supported continuation of the operation of the surgery.
Section 53, block 1 in Phillip is currently known as the Phillip City Parks Depot. Operations there have gradually wound down over a period of years. It has now been determined that it is more appropriate that the functions of that depot be transferred to other facilities within the Woden Valley and that that land be made available for commercial purposes. That proposal received the unanimous support of the Planning Committee. It is my understanding that no negative representations were made in relation to this variation.
The third variation, Madam Speaker, is one which did cause some concern to the Planning Committee. While approving the variation for the area currently called the Woden Valley Club at Curtin, we expressed deep concern because it appears that the land proposed for redevelopment was a direct grant to the club for a specified purpose. It was quite clear that the land was to be used as a social club by a group of people who wished to meet in premises and wished to have some certainty about the availability of facilities and so forth.
That club has been on the decline for some years and is no longer economically viable. The block of land was in fact sold prior to this formal variation being dealt with by the Assembly's Planning Committee. The process which led to the committee considering this matter had been going on for in excess of two years. It was that singular fact, I suggest, which convinced the Assembly's committee to recommend the variation. We find it inappropriate that the club, being in dire circumstances, should on-sell the block of land, knowing that it would be used for other than community purposes as the existing club is. The committee says quite clearly that in general it should not be assumed that such variations will be approved by the committee in the future. We also heard from representatives of the Department of the Environment, Land and Planning that the Government is considering what to do with land occupied by organisations that become unviable. There is a great concern that we stop changes to planning policy by - "stealth" would be too strong a word - default. The Planning Committee and, I am sure, the Minister and the Government are keen to ensure that that does not occur.
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