Page 4981 - Week 13 - Thursday, 12 November 2009
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I welcome the opportunity to speak about the parliamentary triangle because it is, indeed, the symbolic heart of our city and the democratic centre of our country.
I agree with much of what Ms Le Couteur has said in the debate. Indeed, no-one could question the Greens party’s good intentions. Again, though, I urge them to keep sight of the bigger picture. So I would like to put this important matter into the context of the big picture for the parliamentary triangle and the implications for this Assembly, and indeed for the territory government, regarding how we work with the National Capital Authority to develop the parliamentary triangle in the future.
One of our areas of key concern, and certainly one of mine, is in relation to the future of Floriade, which is, of course, undertaken each year within the parliamentary triangle. It is also worth discussing this afternoon how we are working with the NCA’s Griffin legacy so that the planning of the parliamentary triangle and the city as a whole is coherent and logical in coming decades.
Whilst the ACT is proudly self-governing, our planning jurisdiction does not extend to the parliamentary triangle. The NCA is responsible for the triangle and, whilst it is frustrating at times, it is simply a fact of life in this unique town. So let me make it clear, in case there is any confusion, that, in accordance with the Australian Capital Territory (Planning and Land Management) Act 1988, the national capital plan sets out development requirements for designated areas. The territory has no planning role in the parliamentary triangle.
That said, the ACT government has always sought to work cooperatively with the NCA. Our advice to the NCA on planning in the triangle is simple, because it is the same as our approach to planning in the city—that is, to keep politics out of planning; to build on a simpler, faster and more effective planning system; to reform and further improve government processes; to include the community in decision making; to support economic growth; to support the jobs of Canberrans; and to meet the challenge of climate change. It is the right approach for Pialligo and Palmerston and it is the right approach for Parkes.
While we do not control the planning and management of the triangle, of course we have a keen interest in what goes on there. As I said, one of our most important interests relates to Floriade. For 21 years Floriade has been the major tourism drawcard for the ACT, and it is clear it will remain so for many years to come. The challenge now is to allow Floriade to continue to grow over the next 20 years. This challenge has many implications for the relationship between the territory and the commonwealth in a range of areas, including planning. I would like to see Floriade draw more visitors to a more diverse range of areas within the parliamentary triangle and, indeed, within our city. This means developing new and permanent sites for the event.
The government is considering this carefully, and the public conversation about this has well and truly begun. This approach is around meeting our goal of attracting visitors to more places throughout the city. It also has the potential to highlight a range of other national tourist attractions and Lake Burley Griffin. It is even possible in the future that visitors could have the unique experience of travelling between
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