Page 4856 - Week 15 - Wednesday, 14 December 2005
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publicly and openly develop a master plan that can be implemented in a staged and coherent way so that people know what is going to happen in 20 or 30 years time.
It will take 30 years. But it is going to take a lot longer if we never start it, and what Mr Corbell is proposing today is to sit on his hands. This is a minister who lacks vision, who lacks courage, who does not have the confidence to go to the people of Canberra and say, “Let’s develop this together. Let’s plan this together. Let’s make this a city for everybody—a city that everyone can be proud of and a city that everyone has a stake in.” He does not have the courage and, because Mr Seselja has that courage, all he wants to do is squash it. He does not have the courage, and he does not want to see anyone else take up the cudgels.
The speech by the Minister for Planning today was quite simply a disgrace. It shows a lack of foresight. The work done by Mr Seselja and the people who assisted him should be complimented, and it should have a better outcome than we are going to see.
DR FOSKEY (Molonglo) (4.51): I do concur with quite a lot of what has been spoken by those speakers for the opposition today, but, on the other hand, I do concur with some of the statements made by the minister. I do think that there is a strong case for the creation of an independent authority to oversee the planning and development of the central area of Canberra, but I am not convinced that the area that needs such management has yet been defined, nor what the parameters for such an authority ought to be, should we decide to pursue it, so I will not be supporting the bill.
The government has now released its response to the report of the Canberra central task force. I would just like to remind the Assembly of my motion on this matter, supported by all members, in August:
That, in regard to the future development of Civic Centre, including City Hill, this Assembly:
(1) welcomes the enthusiasm and vision of the various frameworks for development that are now in the public arena;
(2) calls for the public debate on the issue to encompass the broader plans of the National Capital Authority, and existing agreements such as the City West Masterplan;
(3) recognises the need to build in broad community and industry acceptance to any plans of this magnitude; and
(4) calls on the ACT Government to ensure:
(a) the major planning decisions are informed by a community values exercise that incorporates the perspectives of the full range of stakeholders, consistent with the Chief Minister’s Department consultation protocol; and
(b) any task force or development body set up to manage the process includes community, business, Territory and Federal Government representatives, and provides advice to the Government which is open and transparent.
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