Page 2140 - Week 07 - Thursday, 20 August 2020
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applications going out for consultation over Christmas, which means that neighbours only find out about them when it is too late to make a submission. The clause will extend the consultation period for development applications over the Christmas and New Year period by around three weeks to ensure that community members do not miss out on a chance to make a submission. No development application consultation will close between 20 December and 10 January inclusive.
I urge all members to vote for this clause, because it is common sense and people will feel all their Christmases have come at once.
Clause 27 agreed to.
Clause 28.
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Manager of Government Business, Minister for Advanced Technology and Space Industries, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Minister for Planning and Land Management, Minister for Police and Emergency Services and Minister for Urban Renewal) (5.59): Madam Speaker, I will speak to clauses 28 and 29. These clauses extend the currency period for an energy efficiency rating statement by 12 months, without the need for a statutory declaration. This bypasses the usual process under the code where a statutory declaration is required to extend the currency period. I hope members support it.
MS LE COUTEUR (Murrumbidgee) (5.59): I will seek leave to table a document comprising communications between me and Minister Ramsay about clauses 28 and 29 of the Planning Legislation Amendment Bill, which aimed to extend the currency of energy efficiency rating statements for 18 months for rental properties. The idea is to give tenants increased information in choosing what property they may wish to rent. It has no additional cost to landlords because they will have already done the work to get the ER rating.
My understanding is that the minister would prefer to make this change directly to the code of practice so that technical arrangements can be included. I wrote to Minister Ramsay to say that I am happy to accept that, because Minister Ramsay is in a position to change codes and practices, which I simply cannot do by legislation. This seems like a more straightforward way to do it.
Also, I understand that Minister Ramsay’s suggestions will extend the currency to 24 months rather than the 18 months I was suggesting. That will be of benefit to tenants. I understand that this will start earlier than it would have started, had it been part of my bill.
For these reasons, I am supporting the government’s amendments here. I thank Minister Ramsay and his office for their cooperation in getting this outcome, which I think will be a better outcome than would have been achieved by merely passing my legislation. I seek leave to table correspondence on the subject.
Leave granted.
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