Page 807 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 13 April 1994
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There is a further contradiction in that because again, I suggest, many people who have concerns about general planning variations would themselves expect to enjoy some flexibility in relation to planning variations in their personal circumstances. Hence the dilemma, I believe, in addressing the fears and the concerns of the community in respect of planning and development - fears and concerns that were expressed with some eloquence and certainly some commitment at the public hearings in relation to this B1 area.
I do not believe, for reasons I outlined earlier, that we have brought forward a perfect set of guidelines for this area. We have, however, improved upon the original set of guidelines by putting forward over a dozen additional requirements. Whilst I do not believe that the PDI Committee is infallible and that even the amended improved guidelines we have included will necessarily avoid some abuses similar to several notorious recent examples, Mr De Domenico, such as in Red Hill, I do believe that we have done the very best we can, and we have taken out insurance. I believe that we have acted both responsibly and realistically in the recommendations for this reference, recognising community concerns and attempting to address them in the short term, while reserving our decision in the long term, pending a review of the guidelines in 12 months' time.
I commend the report to the Assembly and I urge the Minister to accept its recommendations speedily. It has been some time coming, but I think it is fair to say that most people, both would-be developers, if you like, and residents, await these findings with considerable interest.
MR WOOD (Minister for Education and Training, Minister for the Arts and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning) (3.56): Madam Speaker, I will comment first on Mr Cornwell's last sentence, in which he encouraged me to accept speedily these recommendations, these comments - call them what you will. I will do so. I am having a look, because I think it is still my responsibility to make sure that I am absolutely satisfied with them. Ms Szuty mentioned a range of matters that were examined, such as landscape and the like; but I have a concern, as I am sure many members do, about densities. I am going to take absolutely every step to ensure that we do not get a string of one- and two-bedroom units, and relatively small ones at that, covering a large area. This is not going to become unduly dense. The development is three storeys and there will be considerable density. It is high density by Canberra standards, but it is not going to get out of hand.
I want to examine the proposition. I note that there is a recommendation that these be reviewed in a year. I give notice now - I will probably do this in a later address - that I will be monitoring things most carefully in that year, to ensure that we do not allow these to be developed for sale to investors. That is a good market and I am happy for that to happen, but it is very important that this area become a place where people live, where they own their own units, where they bring up their families, and where we have that variation of type of occupation that we need. So I am still looking at densities, and you will hear what I have to say about that as rapidly as possible.
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