Page 2123 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 8 May 2012
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MS GALLAGHER: Yes, thank you, Mr Hargreaves, for that very difficult question. The question of a local voice on the NCA board has arisen over the past few years, often in response to particular decisions that do not necessarily make it look like the ACT as a community has been consulted or considered. This was a recommendation of the Hawke review. I think it is one that the NCA board has welcomed as well in terms of their initial response to the NCA Hawke review.
I do think it is very important that we have someone on that board from a Canberra perspective. That does not mean that they will necessarily be a voice of the ACT government but they are there to present the ACT community perspective on the board. Even though the board truly has to have an outward looking national focus, it is important that we have a voice.
We have had a voice in terms of ACT members being on there but not in the capacity as an ACT representative. I think that this is a significant acceptance by the commonwealth government that the ACT community has a role to play in the nation’s capital.
MS PORTER: Supplementary.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Ms Porter.
MS PORTER: Minister, are there any other additional benefits to the ACT from the review?
MS GALLAGHER: Thank you, Ms Porter. One of the chief benefits that will flow from the review and the funding that is being allowed to flow through is a simplification of the planning system and planning rules. This will take some fairly difficult discussions. We have started those in terms of the ACT government’s response to the Hawke review with the NCA. We have had very good initial level, and indeed ministerial, chief executive and board level, discussion on what some of those reductions and duplications may be. I think there are some clear areas where the NCA accepts that it has a role and there are others where the ACT planning authority has a role. It is probable that the difficult discussions will be around the shades of grey. There are some issues around how heritage is managed across the city. But again, with Gary Rake as chief executive and the board as it is currently constituted, with an ACT representative on there, and this money being tied to delivering some of the outcomes of the recommendation, I think that all of the stepping stones are there to actually deliver the outcome.
MS HUNTER: Supplementary.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Ms Hunter.
MS HUNTER: Minister, how will the ACT representative be chosen? Will the ACT government have any involvement in that? Are you aware of any criteria that will be used?
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