Page 3381 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 21 October 2014
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MR GENTLEMAN: On 28 May 2014 Mr Simon Corbell MLA, the former Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development, directed, under section 158 of the Planning and Development Act, that the planning and land authority refer to him development application No 201221878 as amended by the development application No 201221878C. As the recently appointed Minister for Planning, responsibility for this matter now falls within my portfolio.
The development application sought approval for the construction of the Ngunnawal bush healing farm on a rural property in the Tidbinbilla valley known as Miowera. It will consist of several new buildings, including a communal building, administration and training building, two resident pods, each with four bedrooms, soft and hard landscape features, recreational and cultural elements and rural farming enterprises such as an orchard and animal pens. The Ngunnawal bush healing farm will fulfil a long-overdue need in our community. It is to be established as a place away from the temptations of the city where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can try to recover from the many personal challenges that arise from using drugs and alcohol.
It will not be a place for medical treatment or to detoxify; rather, it will be a place free of drugs and alcohol, with a strong focus on Aboriginal spirituality and cultural principles through recreational pursuits. It will continue with a strong focus, of course, on agriculture.
On 30 September, in my capacity as the Minister for Planning, I decided to consider the development application, and on 8 October this year I approved the application with conditions, using my ministerial call-in powers under section 162 of the Planning and Development Act 2007. In deciding to approve the application, I gave careful consideration to the issues I was required to consider under sections 119 and 120 of the Planning and Development Act.
I also gave careful consideration to the requirements that needed to be met under the territory plan in order for the Ngunnawal bush healing farm to be approved, including the proposed use of the farm as a group or organised camp as defined in the territory plan, advice from the National Capital Authority and from many territory government entities that were consulted in relation to the proposal. These included the Environment Protection Authority, the ACT Heritage Council, the Territory and Municipal Services Directorate, ACTEW and ActewAGL, electricity, gas and water, the Emergency Services Agency and the Conservator of Flora and Fauna. In every case the development with the conditions was supported by those entities.
I also gave consideration to the many representations received by the ACT Planning and Land Authority during the two periods of public notification which occurred firstly in June 2012 for the development application and secondly in March 2013 for the amended application. The authority received 52 representations, mostly from other rural landholders in the Tidbinbilla valley. Most of them expressed their objection to this development.
Having read and carefully considered all of those objections, I am satisfied that, with the conditions I have imposed as part of my approval for the development, it should
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