Page 3273 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 21 August 2019
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
This is much needed additional transparency for the directorate. I can see that the minister himself is foreshadowing some amendments which do not go anywhere near far enough. He has been in this position for far too long. He has failed to address the issue. He has only overseen it getting worse. I do not think that the Assembly should be trusting him at all by accepting his statement that “It is okay; we have made some changes; things are getting better.” He has been saying that for far too long. It is the best part of six years since he became the minister for planning.
I commend Mr Parton on bringing this motion to the Assembly back in April. It is as timely now as it was then. The government has failed in that four-month period to address the issue with any great impact on the processing time or on the backlog of applications that exists. I also commend the amendment that I am proposing to the Assembly and look forward to its support from other members.
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Manager of Government Business, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Minister for Planning and Land Management, Minister for Police and Emergency Services and Minister assisting the Chief Minister on Advanced Technology and Space Industries) (3.17): I thank Mr Parton for his motion. Mr Wall has moved an amendment, and I have circulated an amendment in my name. I will speak to Mr Wall’s amendment and I will move my amendment after we deal with that.
Mr Wall raises some interesting points of course, and I will take those on board. What I can say though is that the information that Mr Wall has asked for in his amendment for me to report back on is already available on the EPSDD website. Monthly they update that. So I do not see any reason to support that part of Mr Wall’s amendment to Mr Parton’s motion. But Mr Parton raises some interesting points, and we are trying to deal with this increase in DAs as best as possible.
I take the opportunity to thank the hardworking development assessors in EPSDD. The team will be growing in the coming months as this year’s budget funded an additional six development assessors.
I make no apology for the government’s strong economic management which has seen Canberra grow. We in this place know how wonderful Canberra is to live, work, raise a family and do business in. Our strong economy and jobs growth mean that our city is welcoming nearly 8,000 people each year. The ACT planning strategy announced last year outlines how this government intends to manage this growth and change across our city.
We are experiencing an increase in development activity as the development industry has taken up the urban renewal agenda of government. This has involved finding the appropriate balance between providing land release options in greenfield areas and renewing the older parts of our city. We are reducing our urban sprawl by achieving greater density in town and group centres and along major transport corridors. And we also dealt with the Mr Fluffy legacy and delivered a significant level of public housing stock within the territory. These factors, as well as the usual development activity that occurs within the territory, have led to a significant, sustained increase in the number of development applications lodged with the Planning and Land Authority.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video