Page 3175 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 20 August 2019
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
At one end of the spectrum, these responsibilities include ensuring that new structures do not encroach onto a neighbour’s property and that property boundaries can be quickly validated for people requesting that information. At the other end, these responsibilities include making sure that developments in suburban areas are sympathetic to the character of that suburb and also that the views of the local community have been properly heard.
With such enormous responsibilities the community and, I am sure, both sides of this chamber have high expectations regarding the way this government provides resources to enable EPSDD to effectively serve our community.
Whether the entirety of the territory’s community agrees it or not, the directorate will have a major role in delivering the so-called compact city and other major developments such as the city plan, East Lake and the Molonglo River Reserve, and many others. But the government’s agenda for these headline projects often presents a smokescreen to obscure the things that frustrate and, I dare say, infuriate the average Canberran.
Local communities become embittered over consultation failures. Where there is consultation, this is sometimes perceived as an arrogant act of steamrolling over the views of local communities. The use of obscure technical amendments to make planning changes by stealth only serves to irritate the community and to further foster cynicism rather than foster confidence.
The building industry also suffers from the way that this government determines the directorate’s priorities. Development applications languish in administrative black holes with 72 working days taken, on average, in 2018-19 to process a DA. We are promised 45 working days in 2019-20, or nine working weeks. In the meantime, mums and dads have borrowed to add a dwelling for their kids or major developers have borrowed millions and are currently paying interest while their DAs sit on the shelf. Time and time again when you talk about this you fully understand that there is no understanding from the government on the commercial realities of building something, whether it be big or small, in this jurisdiction. This budget brings good news with processing times forecast to shrink from 14 weeks to nine weeks, but we wait to see if that can be delivered.
Building quality, of course, is another area which is well and truly in the headlines. It easily slips under the radar, but not so easily after shows like the Four Corners program. Thankfully, resources have been added in a sufficient quantum to complete 15 reforms in 2018-19 and a further 15 in 2019-20. These outcomes will be greatly welcomed by industry and the community alike.
Only time will tell if the budget in the planning area creates genuine improvement in the things that worry and frustrate the community, or whether yet again we will see this out-of-touch government continue its contempt for Canberrans in the planning management area. Thank you.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video