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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 6 Hansard (21 May) . . Page.. 1536 ..

MRS CARNELL: Certainly, Mr Speaker. I think any negotiated settlement is about both sides being willing to give. In this case I congratulate the ANF for being willing to compromise, as did the Government. We have come up with an agreement that I think is in the best interests of the health system and in the best interests of patients.

MR MOORE: Mr Speaker, my question is to Mr Humphries as Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning. Because it refers to a specific location, I gave Mr Humphries a couple of hours' notice of the question. Would the Minister please advise what plans are now proposed for section 52 in Civic? That is the car park near the Boulevard and opposite the Parkroyal, for those people who do not know. Has the lessee sought any planning or leasing variations for the site?

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I thank Mr Moore for the question and for the notice. Expressions of interest for the development of section 52, block 3, for residential serviced apartments, hotel and mixed uses opened in January last year and closed on 7 April last year. Members may be aware that the Hindmarsh Group were the proponents of the successful expression of interest, and they offered the reserve price of $6.5m. The scale of the development, being in excess of 7,000 square metres of gross floor area on a block size of 3,855 square metres, does of course require a preliminary assessment. That assessment, I think, is under way at the moment. It is being prepared by the Hindmarsh Group, as the proponents of the development, and it is expected to be released within the next month or so for public notification.

A site of that size is significant and will require some community input into the proposal for the development. I should make it clear to members that the Territory Plan foreshadows a range of uses for that site. The uses presently comprise residential and/or hotel, with a minimum of 200 hotel rooms or equivalent. The other acceptable uses include shops not exceeding 1,850 square metres GFA, eating and drinking establishments not exceeding 2,900 square metres, personal service establishments, offices not exceeding 4,600 square metres, and indoor recreation and/or entertainment facilities. A large range of commercial uses are possible for that site. The exact combination of those uses is something which the successful bidder for that site will ultimately have to determine. I believe that the PA will require 42 days from the date of public notification of the assessment. The preliminary assessment may give rise to a further process, a public environment report, but that really is a question we should answer when we have seen the preliminary assessment.

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