Page 800 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 13 April 1994
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The committee, after careful consideration, made significant changes to the draft guidelines. The committee has emphasised the need for design excellence in all proposals for development in the B1 area. This requires the highest standards of architectural design, as well as the retention of the existing lovely streetscapes in the area. To achieve this standard the committee considered it as very important that plants and trees be situated in natural ground and that the area should not be subjected to significant basement intrusions. The committee considers that a six-metre setback is appropriate for the B1 area. In order to protect existing blocks standing alongside three-storey developments in the area, the committee recommends that new units adjacent to such leases should step down to two storeys at the interface.
In conclusion, Madam Speaker, I note that the committee's recommendations were unanimously arrived at and reflect detailed consideration of the many complex issues associated with three-storey development in this part of Canberra. The committee unanimously believes that the guidelines as recommended by the committee provide the best possible balance between the competing forces of encouraging more intensive development, yet protecting the existing residential amenity.
Perhaps it is timely for me to say that, except for one occasion, the recommendations of the PDI Committee over the nearly two years that I have been a member have been unanimous. I believe that this was because of the stewardship of the committee in the hands of now Minister Lamont, and it would be remiss of me not to say on behalf of the committee that we have enjoyed Mr Lamont's stewardship. He has done it very fairly, although perhaps not to some people's liking; but that is another story. I have enjoyed working with Mr Lamont on that committee and I have learnt a lot from him and, hopefully, from other members of the committee. I think it is timely for me to say that we will miss Mr Lamont's stewardship of the committee. We look forward to making sure that all other recommendations are as unanimous as possible.
MR LAMONT (Minister for Urban Services, Minister for Housing and Community Services, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Sport) (3.28): First of all, may I thank Mr De Domenico for his kind words. As this is the last report of the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Committee that I was responsible for preparing on behalf of the committee, I thought it would be appropriate if I took a moment to place upon the public record my great appreciation to all of the members of the committee over the last two years for their competence, for their guidance, but, above all, for the spirit in which they have undertaken what I would regard as one of the most onerous tasks of any committee within the Assembly's very wide committee structure.
It is well known to members in this place that planning and planning related issues have been the centre of some contention within our community over a fairly long period. From time to time there will still be issues the community wishes to have addressed or where a community group or an individual believes that the Government has done something which impacts adversely upon them and seeks to have the Government and/or this Assembly change it.
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