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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 11 Hansard (24 September) . . Page.. 3288 ..

MR MOORE (11.43): Mr Speaker, I present Report No. 15 of the Standing Committee on Planning and Environment entitled "Draft Variation to the Territory Plan (No. 54): Minor Corrections Series - Outdoor Recreation Facility", together with extracts of the minutes of proceedings. Pursuant to the resolution of the Assembly of 24 August 1995, the report was circulated when the Assembly was not sitting, on 17 September 1996. I move:

That the report be noted.

In tabling this report, I will make a couple of brief comments. The report has to do with clarifying some minor anomalies in the Territory Plan that primarily have to do with recreational horse riding. I believe that the response of the committee is appropriate to this variation to the plan.

MR KAINE (11.44): I support the report coming from the committee, but there are some comments that I would like to make about it. It is interesting that this matter came before the Assembly and before the committee as part of the minor corrections series. When you look at this proposed variation, you see that in fact it makes quite major changes to the Territory Plan in terms of land usage. When I noted that there had been no written submissions to the Government or to the Planning Authority on this matter, I wondered whether people had simply skimmed over it as being a minor variation and therefore not of great importance. I read with interest in the documentation that came to the committee that there were no public submissions. The only comment in this matter came from two of the LAPACs.

It seems to me that the proposed variation makes two major changes. One is to the schedule that relates to hills, ridges and buffer area land zone uses. It includes now, as a new use, outdoor recreational facilities. These have not previously been permitted in hills, ridges and buffer areas. We are introducing a new land use for these areas previously considered to be green areas and previously considered to be not available for this kind of use. When you look at the definition of "outdoor recreational facility" for this purpose, I must say that it does exclude some of the more noxious ones like motor sport facilities. It also excludes racecourses, showgrounds, stadiums and the like. Interestingly, it does include equestrian facilities. Previously, whenever any change has been mooted in connection with land use associated with horse riding, we have had a very large public response because it is a very popular recreation and people have a real interest in the land that is available to use, even for agistment purposes.

I note by observation as I drive across the Scrivener Dam these days that what used to be a riding school is no longer a riding school. It is now just a private residence. Presumably, there are fewer facilities available than there used to be within the areas in which equestrian facilities have in the past been permitted. Yet when we open up the hills, ridges and buffer areas and make them available for equestrian facilities there is not a word from the community. I find it quite astonishing. It is one of those cases which

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