Page 3047 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 22 August 2017

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Tuesday, 22 August 2017

MADAM SPEAKER (Ms Burch) took the chair at 10 am, made a formal recognition that the Assembly was meeting on the lands of the traditional custodians, and asked members to stand in silence and pray or reflect on their responsibilities to the people of the Australian Capital Territory.

Suburban Land Agency

Ministerial statement

MS BERRY (Ginninderra—Deputy Chief Minister, Minister for Education and Early Childhood Development, Minister for Housing and Suburban Development, Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Minister for Women and Minister for Sport and Recreation) (10.01): In 2016 the Chief Minister announced this government’s intention to establish two new land agencies—one to focus on urban renewal in a declared urban renewal precinct and another to promote and develop greenfield suburban development and urban renewal in established centres and suburbs outside declared urban renewal precincts.

The Assembly passed the City Renewal Authority and Suburban Land Agency Act 2017 on 11 May 2017. The act commenced on 1 July 2017, establishing the two new land agencies—the City Renewal Authority and the Suburban Land Agency. At the core of the act are the following principles: development of the community’s land assets that is based on social inclusion, community engagement, environmental sustainability and the provision of affordable housing; clarity of roles and responsibilities between the two new entities; engagement, consultation and collaboration with stakeholders; and robust governance arrangements.

It is in this context that the new Suburban Land Agency is established to deliver new homes in new suburbs and to oversee land releases that will support urban renewal projects in town centres and suburbs. As an entity, the agency has retained the business expertise necessary to ensure that the government receives coordinated advice on how to develop our suburban spaces to achieve the social, financial and environmental outcomes reflected in the act in a way that is consistent with the Territory Plan and the broader requirements of the Planning and Development Act 2007.

This Assembly, through the debate of the bill, the passage of the act and more recent hearings, has provided for the creation of the Suburban Land Agency governing board. I have now had the opportunity to meet with the new chair of the board and have articulated the government’s priorities for suburban development for the ACT. Whilst the government has reinforced the independence of this body through the legislative arrangements, it has also ensured that the Suburban Land Agency will function on the basis that there will be a closer nexus of control over development outcomes for the Canberra community.


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