Page 723 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 8 April 2014
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variation process, which could be several months. The provisions in this bill mean that the development application could be notified and assessed at the same time as the territory plan variation is progressed.
The fourth element of this bill is the ability for a proponent to lodge a development application in the impact track with a draft environmental impact statement. This would allow public consultation on the draft EIS to occur at the same time as the public notification of the development application. This could save significant time in the approval process. The concurrent lodgement of a development application and a draft EIS will be optional for proponents. Concurrent lodgement carries the risk that the entire application will be rejected based on the completed EIS, so proponents may still choose to submit a draft EIS before lodging a development application.
At the time of tabling this legislation, I said on behalf of the opposition that we were not confident in giving this government, and in particular this minister, even more power. In two months the government can approve any building anywhere. Madam Speaker, I draw your attention to the following quote:
The Territory Plan is changed far too often on the whim of individual development proponents. And every time we change the Territory Plan to suit the whim of an individual developer, we undermine strategic planning in our city, and we undermine the capacity of Canberrans to have faith in our system of planning.
I repeat:
And every time we change the Territory Plan to suit the whim of an individual developer, we undermine strategic planning in our city, and we undermine the capacity of Canberrans to have faith in our system of planning.
Of course, those words were Simon Corbell’s, on 6 September 2000. In contrast, today he is seeking to give himself all the power to change the territory plan and approve a DA in the space of eight weeks—any building, anywhere.
And what did Minister Corbell say on 27 June 2000? He said:
I should stress that we must make a very clear distinction between the development application process and the Territory Plan process. Development applications allow for the approval of developments which are consistent with the existing land use, whereas Territory Plan variations propose to change the land use. Proposing to change the land use is a far more complex and a far more detailed process which warrants, ultimately, the sanction of this place. We do not for a moment resile from that process.
I repeat:
We do not for a moment resile from that process.
Yet today the minister is seeking to weave the two into one—to make land use planning and development applications all but one and the same.
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