TABLING STATEMENT
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
(PLANNING AND LAND MANAGEMENT) ACT 1988
APPROVAL OF AMENDMENT 52
OF THE NATIONAL CAPITAL PLAN
Part Block 1502 Belconnen
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 52 of the National Capital Plan (Part Block 1502 Belconnen) has been prepared in accordance with sections 14 to 22 of the Act.
The Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads, the Hon Jim Lloyd MP, approved Amendment 52 on 31 May 2006, in accordance with section 19 of the Act.
The Amendment is being laid before both Houses of Parliament as a disallowable instrument in accordance with the Legislative Instruments Act 2003. If either House, in pursuance of a motion of which notice has been given within fifteen (15) 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 52 deletes the “Uncommitted Land” land use policy from Part Block 1502 Belconnen and replaces it with a Development Node. It also extends the Open Space (Park) land use policy to include a strip of land adjoining the Tuggeranong Parkway to accommodate a multiuse corridor and limits development of Part Block 1502 Belconnen to a zoo and associated tourist facilities. Amendment 52 also requires the zoo to be generally screened from the Tuggeranong Parkway with the site having an appropriate open woodland landscape character and for the buildings and structures to be subject to design controls to ensure that they are of high quality and generally unobtrusive when viewed from Tuggeranong Parkway.
Amendment 52 also requires a Master Plan to be submitted and approved before the proposal to perform works is submitted to the Authority.
Draft Amendment 52 (DA52) was advertised for consultation in The Canberra Times on Saturday, 3 December 2005 and in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on Wednesday 7 December 2005. The consultation period was open until 23 December 2005.
There was widespread community interest in DA52 with the NCA receiving a total of 64 submissions. Following a review of the submissions, the NCA made some very minor alterations to DA52.
The DA 52 document which was released for public comment, was formally referred to the ACT planning authority (ACTPLA) on 30 November 2005 and the altered version of DA52 was subsequently referred to ACTPLA on 8 February 2006. ACTPLA has confirmed it has no issues with DA 52.
The Office of Regulation Review (ORR) in the Productivity Commission advised a Regulation Impact Statement is not required.
On XX XXX 2006 Minister (Lloyd) referred DA 52 to the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories (JSC). Several members of the JSC inspected the zoo expansion area on 12 May 2006 and following the inspection the chairman of the JSC Senator Ross Lightfoot confirmed the Committee would not be conducting an inquiry into DA52.