TABLING STATEMENT
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
(PLANNING AND LAND MANAGEMENT) ACT 1988
APPROVAL OF AMENDMENT 44
OF THE NATIONAL CAPITAL PLAN
Office Employment Location Policies
Section 6 of the Australian Capital Territory (Planning and Land Management) Act 1988 (the Act) provides that the National Capital Authority is responsible, among other things, for preparing and administering the National Capital Plan, for keeping the Plan under constant review and for proposing amendments to it when necessary. Amendment 44 has been prepared in accordance with sections 14 to 22 of the Act.
The Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government, the Hon. Jim Lloyd MP, approved Amendment 44 (Office Employment Location Policies) on 7 March 2005, in accordance with section 19 of the Act.
The Amendment is being laid before both Houses of Parliament. If either House, in pursuance of a motion of which notice has been given within six sitting days after the Amendment has been laid before that House, passes a resolution disallowing the Amendment, or part of the Amendment, the Amendment or part so disallowed ceases to have effect.
Amendment 44 changes the Employment Location Policies of the National Capital Plan. Rather than dealing with employment in general, the new policies focus on the location of office employment in the context of significant changes in the property market in Canberra since the policies were incorporated in the National Capital Plan in 1990.
The policies respond to changes in the role of the Commonwealth in the Canberra property market, accommodate the ACT Government’s priorities for Civic and recognize Canberra International Airport as a Defined Office Employment Centre.
The intention to propose a Draft Amendment was initially discussed with the Territory planning authority in October 2002. At their request, release of the Draft Amendment for consultation was deferred to coincide with the release of the ACT Government’s Spatial Plan in November 2003.
Draft Amendment 44 was advertised for consultation in The Canberra Times on Saturday, 8 November 2003 and in the Commonwealth Gazette on Wednesday 12 November 2003. Draft Amendment 44 was formally referred to the ACT planning authority on 13 November 2003. The consultation period was open until Monday, 31 January 2003. At the request of a number of potential respondents, the period for written submissions was extended to 14 February 2004. Further consultations were held with the Capital Region Proper Planning Group - a group established from among the members of the Master Builders Association (ACT) with commercial property interests in Canberra to oppose office development at the airport.
On 1 March 2004 the ACT planning authority identified four areas ‘requiring further refinement to better reflect and support the strategic intent of the Spatial Plan:
1 Strengthening the role of Civic
2 Requiring mixed use developments in Parkes and Barton
3 Ensuring the Airport does not become a town centre
4 Avoiding artificial constraints on local and group centres
Following a number of meetings and exchanges of correspondence, Draft Amendment 44 was altered to accommodate all but one of these concerns.
At its October 2004 meeting the National Capital Authority resolved to finalise Amendment 44 and made a number of alterations in response to the submissions it had received during its consultation process. While accepting an overall limit of 120000m2 on general office development at Canberra International Airport, the Authority decided it would not agree to include detailed staging limits on such developments.
The Authority advised me that they were unable to reach agreement with the Territory planning authority. The Authority provided me with their Statement of Reasons for not being able to accommodate the ACT planning authority’s objection. I supported the Authority’s view on this matter and, accordingly, I consulted with the ACT Executive as required by s19 of the Australian Capital Territory (Planning and Land Management) Act 1988.
On 21 February 2005, the ACT Chief Minister, on behalf of the ACT Executive, advised me that in the interests of moving (the Amendment) forward the ACT Government agrees that (the Minister) commence finalisation of the Amendment.
On 25 February 2005 I referred the matter to the Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories.
On 7 March 2005, I approved Amendment 44 of the National Capital Plan in accordance with the Act.
APPROVED/RE-SUBMIT
JIM LLOYD
7/3/2005