Page 3670 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 23 October 2013
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Then I have omitted the current clause (2). As I say, I do not think it is appropriate for the Assembly to do this. I am certainly not in a position that I feel I can judge the merits of this and be the absolute decision maker here. I can certainly see the case that has been put to us. As I say, without knowing the full history and not having seen the application and the rationale for why it should be waived, I am reluctant to make that assessment.
But I think the Treasurer should make that decision. He needs to do it in a timely manner, and he has indicated he will. There is a deadline on that, before 5 November. So the actual decision-making period is not yet complete, and I think that also goes to whether it is appropriate for the Assembly to form a view today.
As I say, I then also try to think about the broader policy issues. I call on the government to undertake a review of the scheme, to look at the fee structure, whether it meets the purpose for which it was set up and whether it is still getting a good outcome for businesses that are operating in good faith. I think the issue here is that there are some who might land-bank but there are others—and Mr Wall has made a case here about this particular instance—where there have been external factors well beyond those that the individual business can deal with and whether the current system and structure are allowing that level of flexibility.
I commend those amendments to the Assembly. I seek leave to move those two amendments together.
Leave granted.
MR RATTENBURY: I move:
(1) Omit paragraph (1)(f), substitute:
“(f) that, on 8 October 2013, Kings Swim made a written application for the remission of outstanding commence and complete fees relating to Block 33 Section 787 in Calwell;”.
(2) Omit paragraph (2), substitute:
“(2) (a) calls on the Treasurer to consider the application in accordance with Section 131 of the Financial Management Act 1996 for a fee remission made by Kings Swim and make a decision on the application by 5 November 2013; and
(b) calls on the Government to undertake a review of the commence and complete fee scheme and provide a copy of the review to the Assembly by the last sitting day in June 2014.”.
My apologies, as I said, to colleagues for circulating this late. We were sitting around thinking about this and thinking of both the specific case and the broader question. It was not until this morning, after talking to some of my staff, that we resolved that the right approach was to try to actually get broader policy review. That is the important part of this discussion today. I think that is worth doing in this context.
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