Ms MARTIN - 1999-06-01
I refer to the rhetoric from the Chief Minister’s glossy pamphlet. The pamphlet is entitled ‘Foundations for Our Future’. Why do you plan to establish a planning advisory board when you have just shown you will make important planning decisions yourself without any regard to the proper planning processes? Shall I repeat the question?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I find it laughable that the Leader of the Opposition would criticise any policy document that comes from this government or from me. Shortly, I will be very proud to stand up and expand on an information paper in my ministerial statement as to how the Northern Territory needs to position itself for the future.
If the Leader of the Opposition criticises anything that might be in that document, let’s remember that the policies they took to the electorate last election, they’ve thrown out. They’ve had Michael Field and Barry Jones advising them on what sort of policies they should come up with to present to Territorians. We haven’t heard anything in terms of policy ...
Ms MARTIN: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I have offered to repeat the question for the chief Minister because I don’t think he heard it and to be fair to him, I think it’s fair that he knows what the question is.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I understand that the Chief Minister understands the question, and there is no point of order.
Mr BURKE: Mr Speaker, I wasn’t finished and I was getting to the question she asked in more detail.
Don’t criticise policy and plans when you have none yourself. That is the message that I was getting at. And certainly, we’ve seen nothing from the Leader of the Opposition, except criticism in all the time that I’ve been Chief Minister and she’s been the Leader of the Opposition. Certainly no plans, certainly no policies, and frankly, she is damn fraudulent. Damn fraudulent, particularly when she talks for the establishment of a task force to deal with crime. This is yesterday’s latest little doozy when she knows full well that that task force has been in place for more than 5 days. The general modus operandi of the Leader of the Opposition is to come out suggesting that we do something, knowing full well that it generally has been put in place. That’s the general way she operates.
With regards to the decision on the civic precinct, which was the focus of her question, I stand by that decision. There is nothing autocratic in my decision to tell Lands, Planning and Environment officers to advise the developer that with regard to the civic precinct, which is where this residential …
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: With regard to the civic precinct which is where this residential development was planned, one has only to look at the 1996 central Darwin planning concept and development opportunities documents, the central Darwin land use objectives, and open to the pages for the benefit of those who might be interested - pages 40-41 - which deal with the civic precinct. It might also mention a thing called State Square too – a planning concept. This is a government that plans. You’re an opposition that criticises.
With regards to the civic precinct in which this developer plans to build residential accommodation, it says that we would …
Ms Martin interjecting.
A member interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: It says that this area is to be developed to enhance its civic state government responsibilities. It’s not appropriate for a residential development to be in that particular area. What I did is tell the Planning Authority that they should advise this developer that plans he has for residential accommodation in that area, at the very least, would be unduly optimistic. I think that’s fair and reasonable so that that developer doesn’t go to undue expense and be ultimately dissatisfied and disappointed.
Whilst I’m on the subject, the Leader of the Opposition has made great play of this issue of State Square. Again I would refer members to these documents. The issue of State Square and the civic precinct has been a plan of government since 1996. It’s not something that just popped out on some whim of mine. It is not about flower boxes outside the Chief Minister’s window. In reality, my window looks out to sea. The Leader of the Opposition’s window looks out over what will be the State Square development in due course. And the Leader of the Opposition - it may not be you, it might be Mr Toyne, it might be Mr Ah Kit, but one of you - is going to be looking out there for some time to come on what will be the State Square development.
It won’t be flower beds, Mr Speaker. It will be parks and gardens for Territorians. That’s what it will be. It will be parks and gardens for Territorians in a precinct that Territorians will enjoy and will use, and it may even include added things like underground parking in due course if that fits. But these are concept plans and they’re the plans of any reasonable government in planning for the future of Darwin and the future enjoyment of Territorians.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I find it laughable that the Leader of the Opposition would criticise any policy document that comes from this government or from me. Shortly, I will be very proud to stand up and expand on an information paper in my ministerial statement as to how the Northern Territory needs to position itself for the future.
If the Leader of the Opposition criticises anything that might be in that document, let’s remember that the policies they took to the electorate last election, they’ve thrown out. They’ve had Michael Field and Barry Jones advising them on what sort of policies they should come up with to present to Territorians. We haven’t heard anything in terms of policy ...
Ms MARTIN: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I have offered to repeat the question for the chief Minister because I don’t think he heard it and to be fair to him, I think it’s fair that he knows what the question is.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I understand that the Chief Minister understands the question, and there is no point of order.
Mr BURKE: Mr Speaker, I wasn’t finished and I was getting to the question she asked in more detail.
Don’t criticise policy and plans when you have none yourself. That is the message that I was getting at. And certainly, we’ve seen nothing from the Leader of the Opposition, except criticism in all the time that I’ve been Chief Minister and she’s been the Leader of the Opposition. Certainly no plans, certainly no policies, and frankly, she is damn fraudulent. Damn fraudulent, particularly when she talks for the establishment of a task force to deal with crime. This is yesterday’s latest little doozy when she knows full well that that task force has been in place for more than 5 days. The general modus operandi of the Leader of the Opposition is to come out suggesting that we do something, knowing full well that it generally has been put in place. That’s the general way she operates.
With regards to the decision on the civic precinct, which was the focus of her question, I stand by that decision. There is nothing autocratic in my decision to tell Lands, Planning and Environment officers to advise the developer that with regard to the civic precinct, which is where this residential …
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: With regard to the civic precinct which is where this residential development was planned, one has only to look at the 1996 central Darwin planning concept and development opportunities documents, the central Darwin land use objectives, and open to the pages for the benefit of those who might be interested - pages 40-41 - which deal with the civic precinct. It might also mention a thing called State Square too – a planning concept. This is a government that plans. You’re an opposition that criticises.
With regards to the civic precinct in which this developer plans to build residential accommodation, it says that we would …
Ms Martin interjecting.
A member interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: It says that this area is to be developed to enhance its civic state government responsibilities. It’s not appropriate for a residential development to be in that particular area. What I did is tell the Planning Authority that they should advise this developer that plans he has for residential accommodation in that area, at the very least, would be unduly optimistic. I think that’s fair and reasonable so that that developer doesn’t go to undue expense and be ultimately dissatisfied and disappointed.
Whilst I’m on the subject, the Leader of the Opposition has made great play of this issue of State Square. Again I would refer members to these documents. The issue of State Square and the civic precinct has been a plan of government since 1996. It’s not something that just popped out on some whim of mine. It is not about flower boxes outside the Chief Minister’s window. In reality, my window looks out to sea. The Leader of the Opposition’s window looks out over what will be the State Square development in due course. And the Leader of the Opposition - it may not be you, it might be Mr Toyne, it might be Mr Ah Kit, but one of you - is going to be looking out there for some time to come on what will be the State Square development.
It won’t be flower beds, Mr Speaker. It will be parks and gardens for Territorians. That’s what it will be. It will be parks and gardens for Territorians in a precinct that Territorians will enjoy and will use, and it may even include added things like underground parking in due course if that fits. But these are concept plans and they’re the plans of any reasonable government in planning for the future of Darwin and the future enjoyment of Territorians.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016