Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 14 Hansard (10 December) . . Page.. 4092 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

the government's initiative. Why do they support the government's initiative? They support it because they see it as an opportunity for individual Canberra citizens to buy land directly-without having to buy a house and land package, without having to go through a land developer such as those that currently exist in the ACT.

I have also been approached by another citizen of Canberra, Mr Terry Snow. Mr Snow has allowed me to make public his letter to me supporting the Stanhope government's planning initiatives. Indeed, Mr Snow has labelled as nonsense the claims by the Master Builders Association and the HIA. I am sure that Mr Snow is well known to members of the Liberal Party.

Mr Snow has explicitly backed the government's approach to land development and the government's approach for strategic planning in this city. It must in some ways gall Mr Snow to know that in six years that mob over there never grasped the nettle. But at least he has the courage of his convictions, and at least he is prepared to say that this government has got the right approach when it comes to planning in Canberra.

Mr Snow wrote to me wanting it to be clearly understood that the views expressed by the MBA and the HIA in no way reflect the views of the private sector in the ACT. I would just like to read the letter for the information of members. Mr Snow says in his letter:

Dear Simon

I would like it clearly understood that the nonsense advertisement inserted in today's Canberra Times by the Master Builders' Association and the HIA and the Village Building Company in no way reflects the views of the private sector in Canberra.

He goes on to say:

If this document was meant to somehow put pressure on the ACT Government to abandon its approach to planning and the forthcoming Spatial Plan, Social Plan and White Paper, then it should say so but it does not. They do not seem to have any constructive suggestions to offer for the benefit of our community.

I believe that your Government is now, for the first time in many years, coming to grips, through the implementation of its policy on planning reviews, to give the Territory a sound basis to move forward for the next ten or fifteen years and, until that is in place, wholesale land release shouldn't be undertaken willy nilly. We would all like to see more land in the market, but not at any cost.

Mr Snow also says:

From other comments in today's paper, we can understand why people call for robust action to get land into the market in parallel with solving the longer term planning issues, as your Government quite correctly identified.

Mr Snow concludes in this way:

This advertisement, in my opinion, vindicates the action the ACT Government has taken in handling its own land releases and I encourage you to continue on your present course in the interests of a better Canberra for all.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .