A debate on more than 100 amendments to a planning bill in the Legislative Assembly before the community has had a chance to see the proposed changes is "bizarre" given the government's previous focus on consultation, a community council has said.
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Planning Minister Mick Gentlemen circulated 106 amendments to the bill last week, with another 19 amendments to be moved by the Greens.
The Greens amendments include adding appeal rights for greenfield developments, a move Labor is understood to support.
Inner South Canberra Community Council chair Marea Fatseas said the council hadn't seen the proposed amendments, and was only alerted to them through a generic email sent by the ACT Greens, despite being involved in the consultation period.
"This is one of the most important bills in years, and the fact we haven't seen or heard anything about the amendments directly reinforces the idea of a predetermined outcome all along," Ms Fatseas said.
Ms Fatseas said the ISCCC, and other community councils in Canberra, wanted to see the whole planning system package altogether before it was given the opportunity to pass into law.
"We haven't even got a consultation report from the period of consultation, we have only seen a listening report that has come from consultants," she said.
"The outcomes based approach needs clear guidance, and we feel as though there has been no transparency about the amendments at all.
"We really feel like we are going in blind here."
Community councils are government-funded, not-for-profit voluntary bodies which represent the interests of Canberra residents but have no decision-making power.
The planning bill, which could pass after a detail-stage debate in the Legislative Assembly as soon as Tuesday, will then allow the government to finalise a new territory plan, technical specifications and district strategies.
Those documents will largely set out the detail of the outcomes the planning system has been designed to effect, the government believes.
A listening report that was released to the ACT government, based on an extensive planning system reform consultation period and 7600 pieces of feedback, said the Canberra community was uncertain how the proposed new planning system would deliver effective outcomes.
It is also not the first time a community council has said the government is going forward with their own plans despite the feedback from the community.
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Weston Creek Community Council chair Bill Gemmell said the listening report showed the government's "true agenda".
"The content and quality of the so-called listening report issued on May 23 further reinforces the view that the outcome of the community consultation was predetermined," he said.
Mr Gentleman said the community consultation period had been of the utmost importance, saying "the ACT government has made a large number of changes to the planning bill in response to feedback received from the community consultation and inquiry process".
Opposition planning spokesman Peter Cain last week cited the feelings of Canberra's community councils towards the consultation process as a reason debate on the planning bill should be halted.
"If you ask the combined community councils of the ACT, they say that the work hasn't been done properly. Their submissions haven't been properly addressed," Mr Cain told a press conference.
"And I'm hearing this from professional stakeholders as well. I went through much of this reform consultation and it did not impress me.
The Greens on Monday again stressed they would only pass the bill if it was significantly amended to address community concerns.
"If the bill passes, work will begin on the next stages for the Territory Plan. We will continue pushing the Government to ensure the new system has the resources and scrutiny it needs to be effective," the Greens' planning spokeswoman, Jo Clay, said.
The long-awaited planning bill was introduced into the Legislative Assembly in September 2022 and will, if passed, be the most significant change to the territory's planning system since self-government began in 1989.
An Assembly inquiry in December made 49 recommendations for changes to the bill, including calling for a review of governance arrangements.
The ACT government should also provide greater clarification on what it means by its "outcomes-focused" planning approach, the report said.
Labor and the Greens last week agreed to a review of governance arrangements within a year of the new planning system coming into effect.
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Sara Garrity
Sara writes about general Canberra news. She has previously worked as the journalist at Allhomes, writing about property news through a Canberra lens. You can email story ideas or tips to Sara at sgarrity@austcommunitymedia.com.au.
Sara writes about general Canberra news. She has previously worked as the journalist at Allhomes, writing about property news through a Canberra lens. You can email story ideas or tips to Sara at sgarrity@austcommunitymedia.com.au.
Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
