Page 3022 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 23 September 2014
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The amendments in this bill not only support implementation of a one-stop shop but also make beneficial changes to existing processes. In regard to the one-stop shop, the bill will enable the territory to meet its commitment to be ready to enter a one-stop shop for environmental approvals by the end of this calendar year. The amendments proposed in the bill provide legislative force for environmental offsets policy and guidelines. This is a first for the ACT. This will ensure that the one-stop shop is supported by a strong environmental offsets framework to support decision making.
The bill will also ensure that the commonwealth retains an ongoing role in development approvals, meeting commitments under the parliamentary agreement, and it strengthens the Conservator of Flora and Fauna’s role in the assessment and approval process. The amendments proposed in the bill will enable the ACT to effectively implement a one-stop-shop arrangement, ensuring reduced regulatory burden on development while maintaining strong environmental outcomes. I commend the bill to the Assembly.
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Minister for Planning, Minister for Community Services, Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations, Minister for Children and Young People and Minister for Ageing) (11.00), in reply: I thank members for their contributions today. The Planning and Development (Bilateral Agreement) Amendment Bill 2014 has been prepared in support of a one-stop shop for environmental approvals which is currently being negotiated with the commonwealth government. As we have heard, the intention of this bill is to help give effect to a one-stop shop, ensuring it can operate effectively and providing strong certainty to stakeholders that environmental matters will be protected.
This bill will ensure that the commonwealth retains an ongoing approvals role for projects that relate to matters of national environmental significance, meeting commitments under the parliamentary agreement; strengthen the role of the Conservator of Flora and Fauna; and provide a legislative force for an environmental offsets policy. These key elements of the bill will ensure that high environmental standards are maintained while simplifying the environmental assessment and approval process in the territory and resulting in faster approvals.
I would like to emphasise that the ACT already has a strong and efficient planning system which aligns closely with the commonwealth system. This will ensure a seamless transition to the new arrangements.
This bill endeavours to finetune and strengthen the ACT system and provide additional assurance to the community that commonwealth and ACT environment matters will be protected under a one-stop shop. It will also ensure that the ACT can be more efficient in meeting commonwealth standards. For example, we will have an offsets policy built into our legislative framework. Given the ACT already protects commonwealth matters, the incorporation of commonwealth matters as a trigger will not result in substantial changes to ACT process.
On the offsets policy, I noted Mr Rattenbury’s concern about the offsets calculator. I am happy to advise that we are working on a more user-friendly offsets calculator and
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