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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 11 Hansard (21 October) . . Page.. 3466 ..
MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):
However, as the response explains, to the extent that the committee is supporting the Auditor-General's call for efficient administrative procedures to enforce bail forfeiture orders, the Government agrees with the recommendation. Mr Speaker, I table the Government's response for the information of members.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
MR SMYTH (Minister for Urban Services): Mr Speaker, for the information of members, I present the schedule of lease variations and change of use charges for the period 1 April 1999 to 30 September 1999 and the schedule of leases granted for the same period pursuant to the Land (Planning and Environment) Act 1991. I ask for leave to make a short statement.
Leave granted.
MR SMYTH: Mr Speaker, section 216A of the Land (Planning and Environment) Act 1991 specifies that a statement be tabled in the Legislative Assembly outlining: details of leases granted by direct grant, leases granted to community organisations, leases granted for less than market value, and leases granted over public land. The schedule I now table covers leases granted for the period 1 April 1999 to 30 September 1999. I am also tabling two other schedules in relation to variations approved, and change of use charges for the same period.
Mr Speaker, in September 1997, my colleague Mr Gary Humphries, then Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning, tabled in the Assembly a disallowable instrument, No. 228 of 1997, for the direct grant of land for any or all of commercial, residential, tourism, and industrial purposes. In the tabling statement Mr Humphries indicated that a copy of the lease and a statement setting out why the lease was sold would then be tabled in the Assembly.
Mr Speaker, the Assembly was notified of a direct grant of block 25, section 12, Fyshwick, on 22 April 1999. However, the schedule transposed the block and section identifiers and neither a copy of the lease nor a statement on why the lease was granted was tabled. Therefore, I am now tabling a copy of the lease, and a statement notifying the Assembly of the reason for the direct sale of the block. Mr Speaker, the lease in question is the result of an application lodged for a direct grant of land under disallowable instrument 228 of 1997. The instrument determines the criteria for the direct grant of a lease, and requires the Executive to be satisfied that it is in the public interest to grant the lease.
The grant of the lease and subsequent development of both blocks 9 and 25 is estimated to provide benefits to the Territory through expanding business in Fyshwick. This will increase employment in the construction industry during the building phase, create additional job opportunities, reduce the Territory's maintenance costs for the upkeep of block 25 as unleased territory land. There will also be an improvement in the Canberra
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