Page 1006 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 25 February 2009
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Minister for Indigenous Affairs and Minister for the Arts and Heritage) (3.53): The government concedes that this is a matter of significant import and of importance and of some current concern to, most particularly, the offices and retailers within the Hawker shopping centre. I too am aware of their concern. I too am in receipt of their correspondence and their representations in relation to their concerns about the process.
I think, just in terms of that process, it is consistent with processes that have been traditionally pursued by our authorities, and not just under this government but previously. The process is essentially the same. It is that an indicative land supply program is developed, released and advertised. And that was the case under the Liberals and is the case under us.
It was advertised. This land was included within the land release program. The LDA, consistent with that, along with other agencies and officials that are part of the process, proceeded on the basis, as they always have, to prepare the land for sale, consistent with the strategy that was developed. That is the way that it has always been. This is not a new process; it is how it has always been done.
That does not mean that, for every piece of land, it is a process that meets the needs of the community. To that extent, I do not disagree with some of the sentiment that Mrs Dunne has expressed today. But I think to be fair to officials, to be fair to the government, to be fair to the process, it is a process that has been pursued by all governments in my time in this place in relation to land supply and the forward program.
At the heart of some of the debate we have had in relation to the data centre is that governments and agencies have proceeded along a process line that identified land, made the land available, sold the land and required the purchaser to then pursue a certain process, a statutory process, involving preliminary assessments, development applications. Because of the way in which our systems have been structured, it is through that part of the process that there is a statutory requirement for consultation.
This is the issue that really was at the heart of the debate we have hopefully concluded in relation to the data centre and it is at the heart of the issue which Mrs Dunne raises today: a second set of consultation, a predevelopment application consultation process. We consult on whether or not to sell the land and then we consult on the use of the land. This is not how our planning and land development agencies proceeded traditionally.
Mrs Dunne, though, raises a legitimate point today. I do not dispute it and I think we need to respond to it.
Mrs Dunne: Careful, you have agreed with me again.
MR STANHOPE: I do; it is disconcerting. I think the challenge is for my officials, and I invited my officials to be here today to better understand the nature of the issues which we face as a government, as a community. I do not disagree with you, Mrs Dunne, that we should have found a way of engaging with the Hawker shopping
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