Page 1567 - Week 05 - Thursday, 15 May 2014

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wake up in the morning to discover that a lesser-quality and cheaper timber fence had instead been built. I think this is an important issue to be addressed, and that was the proposal in clause 18.

I would also add that clause 18 would have retained existing permissions or building tolerances in section 35(1) of the regulation. These tolerances permit construction to exceed to a very minor degree certain siting requirements—for example, building setbacks. These tolerances are important to ensure that minor unintended departures from the DA during construction do not require further approval. Clause 18 would not have affected these existing building tolerances. So it is wrong, again of Mr Coe to assert that the provisions in clause 18 would have required a new DA in each and every circumstance.

Madam Deputy Speaker, the government is aware that nevertheless there remain concerns from industry associations. The government’s response to this is, as always, a practical one. We will engage in further consultation with those industry stakeholders before re-visiting this proposal in future legislation, and the government will move to omit this provision from this bill at this time.

The bill also makes amendments to the Building Act, the Planning and Development Act and the Unit Titles Act. To summarise, the building amendments relate to obligations on certifiers to notify the Construction Occupations Registrar of contraventions of the Building Act.

The Planning and Development Act amendments expand the ability of the Planning and Land Authority to consent to the transfer of holding leases and bring the University of Canberra lease under the auspices of the act. Changes to the Unit Titles Act mean dual occupancy dwellings will now able to be unit titled even when they are not superimposed on each other.

These amendments are a response to ongoing government commitments to deliver land and housing of a proper standard for the community and to provide opportunities for activity in the building sector which in turn makes an important contribution to our economy. I thank members for their support of the bill overall and I commend it to the Assembly.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

Detail stage

Clauses 1 to 17, by leave, taken together and agreed to.

Clause 18.

MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations and Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development) (11.38): The government will be


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