Page 4788 - Week 11 - Thursday, 20 October 2011
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
The fourth concern was that, at a very practical level, some bodies corporate were writing rules that banned the performance of very simple sustainability practices, like outdoor clothes drying. This seemed to us to be a very unfortunate situation to have arisen, and we asked the government to look into what could be done to address this. It has been addressed, and we are pleased to see the sensible outcome.
Finally, there was some confusion about voting requirements for the establishment of sinking funds and special purpose funds. The law placed an unattainably high voting requirement before sustainability infrastructure could be paid for. Again, this has been addressed and made more simple. These sustainability amendments have come in for praise from a specialist lawyer who works in this field of unit titles. When we had a discussion with him he was really quite impressed with the amendments and how they will support owners striving for sustainability. I think he went so far as to say that the ACT was now ahead of the rest of the country in removing the barriers and making it possible for these sorts of measures to be put in place in unit titles.
So much effort is made to encourage Canberrans to take action to become more sustainable, and this is one example of the sort of joined-up thinking we need to ensure that, when someone goes out and does act, they do not have unnecessary hurdles placed in their way.
All of that said, the Greens will support this bill today. We look forward to these new laws coming into effect and beginning to have an effect on the various and increasing number of unit title developments around Canberra.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development, Minister for Territory and Municipal Services and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (4.57), in reply: I thank members for their support of this bill. This bill completes a package of reforms designed to further improve the governing of the management of unit plans in the territory, making it more accessible to frequent users of the legislation. I believe the bill also strikes a fair balance between the need for consumer protection for unit owners and buyers on the one hand and adequate flexibility for property developers on the other.
As Mr Rattenbury has noted in his comments, the government introduced a raft of reforms in 2008 that were intended to improve consumer protections for unit owners and purchasers. What is very clear from those reforms is that they have worked. In addition, the measures that have now been put in place in this bill better and further clarify the operations of those provisions and deal with a number of other issues that were identified in the review.
I will not seek at this point in the debate to revisit all the issues addressed in the bill. I simply thank members for their support of the bill and commend it to the Assembly.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video