Dr LIM - 1995-08-22
Despite the thorough briefings provided by the government, it would appear that widespread confusion still exists among the Labor opposition about the Territory's planning process. Can the minister provide any information that may help to ease the confusion, particularly for the benefit of the member for Fannie Bay?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I think it is yet another sign of opposition laziness that ...
Mr Bailey: This is the catch-cry. The public relations people have told you what to say, have they?
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: For the third time in these sittings, it is necessary for me to correct statements or assertions that have been made by the member for Fannie Bay. The first might be ...
Mr Bailey: Why don't you correct your own? Casuarina beach - you lied and we all know it.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will withdraw that remark.
Mr BAILEY: I withdraw the remark, but I point out that a question has been on notice for 5 years asking this man to admit that he lied ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will sit down. The next time he indulges in an outburst like that, he will be named.
Mr REED: The first occasion was in relation to statements the member made, taking credit for heritage issues in Fannie Bay. The second occasion was only yesterday, when false accusations were made alleging non-payment of stamp duty by a particular developer. The third occasion concerns a press release issued by the member on 9 August in relation to the powers of the Planning Authority across the Northern Territory and allegations that this government, through its planning processes, is frustrating the wishes of local government across the Northern Territory.
I point out that, in relation to the member's desire to ensure that local governments control local planning processes, her assertion was wrong. Her assertion was that, under a Labor government, local governments would be given a majority on the Planning Authority. That is already the case, except with the Litchfield Shire Council which is a little different. However, the 5 major local government bodies have a majority of 3 of 5 members on their local Planning Authority ...
Page 768
Members interjecting.
Mr REED: The names were put forward by the councils ...
Mr Ede: But they are not answerable to the councils!
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Members interjecting.
Mr Bailey: They are not allowed to represent the councils.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! A question has been asked of the minister and I would appreciate being able to hear the answer.
Mr Bailey: He is misleading the House.
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, the councils have a majority representation on their local Planning Authorities. Those members are chosen from nominations put forward by ...
Mr Bailey: They are not allowed to represent their council.
Mr REED: ... their respective members. Given that majority, I believe there is ample opportunity for local issues to be taken into account.
Ms Martin: The Mayor of Alice Springs would not agree.
Mr REED: I will come to the next point, to pick up the member for Fannie Bay's interjection. In her press release, she referred to recent disputes over planning involving the Woolworths development in Palmerston and redevelopment of the waterslide site in Alice Springs, which `saw the respective councils and their opinions overridden'. That is not so! She is wrong, because they did not make recommendations in relation to either of those matters. When they do not make recommendations, the responsibility falls on the minister, who then has an obligation to make a decision.
Let us look at the decision which was made in relation to Woolworths at Palmerston. What did the council say in relation to my decision on the Woolworths development at Palmerston?
Mr Ede: It said that it did not like it.
Mr REED: The Leader of the Opposition says that it did not like it. That is another indication of his laziness. I am advised that, at a meeting in the same week that I announced the decision, the Palmerston Town Council supported my decision unanimously. He should get his facts right. This is where his laziness is evident. He makes these allegations in here and in his press releases.
Page 769
Let us look at what happened in relation to the decision on the waterslide site in Alice Springs. What were the mayor's comments? He said, `It was the best possible compromise that could have been made in relation to that site'. To me, that does not indicate a hotbed of opposition to the decision made on the waterslide site.
The member for Fannie Bay asserts that town councils should have responsibility for subdivision. She wants to give responsibility for subdivision to town councils.
Ms Martin: When did I say that?
Mr Coulter: That would be popular.
Mr REED: This is my recollection of her comments on the radio ...
Mr Bailey: You are lying again, as you have done in the past.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bailey: You are making it up.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Lands, Planning and Environment will resume his seat. I warn the member for Wanguri that he is skating on very thin ice. I do not want to have to take the decision that I offered him before, but I assure him that I will if he continues in the vein that he has been pursuing.
Mr EDE: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I request you to ask the minister to be truthful. If we are expected to sit in silence and listen while the minister pulls words out of the air and delivers them as facts across this Table, then I expect you to pull him into line. Somebody has to ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The minister has said nothing at this stage which would indicate to me that he has told anything but the truth.
Mr Ede: Mr Speaker, I ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! if you have further questions to ask, you may ask them when the minister has concluded his answer.
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, I table a copy of the member for Fannie Bay's media release, and I quote from it:
The recent disputes over planning involving the Woolworths development in Palmerston and the waterslide
redevelopment in Alice Springs saw the respective councils and their opinions overridden.
It goes on to say that greater control under a Labor government would be provided over those issues with the Planning Authorities.
Page 770
Mr Bailey: Where does it say `subdivisions'. You just read that. Where did she mention subdivisions?
Mr REED: She referred to subdivisions in the previous paragraph. It then goes on to say that this is the issue at the heart of her concerns. From the point of view ...
Mr Bailey: You are misrepresenting.
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, his manners are too bad for me to argue with him across the Table. The point that I am making is that, if the member for Fannie Bay and the Leader of the Opposition want to get it right, they should not be lazy about it and issue statements that are wrong or mislead people.
Right across Australia, the responsibility for subdivisions lies not with town councils but with ministers. It lies with the planning minister. From the point of view of what is being asserted here, and the powers that the opposition is suggesting a Labor government would confer on town councils, the member for Fannie Bay and the Leader of the Opposition are wrong. Their work lacks quality and is inadequate.
Page 771
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I think it is yet another sign of opposition laziness that ...
Mr Bailey: This is the catch-cry. The public relations people have told you what to say, have they?
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: For the third time in these sittings, it is necessary for me to correct statements or assertions that have been made by the member for Fannie Bay. The first might be ...
Mr Bailey: Why don't you correct your own? Casuarina beach - you lied and we all know it.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will withdraw that remark.
Mr BAILEY: I withdraw the remark, but I point out that a question has been on notice for 5 years asking this man to admit that he lied ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will sit down. The next time he indulges in an outburst like that, he will be named.
Mr REED: The first occasion was in relation to statements the member made, taking credit for heritage issues in Fannie Bay. The second occasion was only yesterday, when false accusations were made alleging non-payment of stamp duty by a particular developer. The third occasion concerns a press release issued by the member on 9 August in relation to the powers of the Planning Authority across the Northern Territory and allegations that this government, through its planning processes, is frustrating the wishes of local government across the Northern Territory.
I point out that, in relation to the member's desire to ensure that local governments control local planning processes, her assertion was wrong. Her assertion was that, under a Labor government, local governments would be given a majority on the Planning Authority. That is already the case, except with the Litchfield Shire Council which is a little different. However, the 5 major local government bodies have a majority of 3 of 5 members on their local Planning Authority ...
Page 768
Members interjecting.
Mr REED: The names were put forward by the councils ...
Mr Ede: But they are not answerable to the councils!
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Members interjecting.
Mr Bailey: They are not allowed to represent the councils.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! A question has been asked of the minister and I would appreciate being able to hear the answer.
Mr Bailey: He is misleading the House.
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, the councils have a majority representation on their local Planning Authorities. Those members are chosen from nominations put forward by ...
Mr Bailey: They are not allowed to represent their council.
Mr REED: ... their respective members. Given that majority, I believe there is ample opportunity for local issues to be taken into account.
Ms Martin: The Mayor of Alice Springs would not agree.
Mr REED: I will come to the next point, to pick up the member for Fannie Bay's interjection. In her press release, she referred to recent disputes over planning involving the Woolworths development in Palmerston and redevelopment of the waterslide site in Alice Springs, which `saw the respective councils and their opinions overridden'. That is not so! She is wrong, because they did not make recommendations in relation to either of those matters. When they do not make recommendations, the responsibility falls on the minister, who then has an obligation to make a decision.
Let us look at the decision which was made in relation to Woolworths at Palmerston. What did the council say in relation to my decision on the Woolworths development at Palmerston?
Mr Ede: It said that it did not like it.
Mr REED: The Leader of the Opposition says that it did not like it. That is another indication of his laziness. I am advised that, at a meeting in the same week that I announced the decision, the Palmerston Town Council supported my decision unanimously. He should get his facts right. This is where his laziness is evident. He makes these allegations in here and in his press releases.
Page 769
Let us look at what happened in relation to the decision on the waterslide site in Alice Springs. What were the mayor's comments? He said, `It was the best possible compromise that could have been made in relation to that site'. To me, that does not indicate a hotbed of opposition to the decision made on the waterslide site.
The member for Fannie Bay asserts that town councils should have responsibility for subdivision. She wants to give responsibility for subdivision to town councils.
Ms Martin: When did I say that?
Mr Coulter: That would be popular.
Mr REED: This is my recollection of her comments on the radio ...
Mr Bailey: You are lying again, as you have done in the past.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bailey: You are making it up.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Lands, Planning and Environment will resume his seat. I warn the member for Wanguri that he is skating on very thin ice. I do not want to have to take the decision that I offered him before, but I assure him that I will if he continues in the vein that he has been pursuing.
Mr EDE: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I request you to ask the minister to be truthful. If we are expected to sit in silence and listen while the minister pulls words out of the air and delivers them as facts across this Table, then I expect you to pull him into line. Somebody has to ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The minister has said nothing at this stage which would indicate to me that he has told anything but the truth.
Mr Ede: Mr Speaker, I ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! if you have further questions to ask, you may ask them when the minister has concluded his answer.
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, I table a copy of the member for Fannie Bay's media release, and I quote from it:
The recent disputes over planning involving the Woolworths development in Palmerston and the waterslide
redevelopment in Alice Springs saw the respective councils and their opinions overridden.
It goes on to say that greater control under a Labor government would be provided over those issues with the Planning Authorities.
Page 770
Mr Bailey: Where does it say `subdivisions'. You just read that. Where did she mention subdivisions?
Mr REED: She referred to subdivisions in the previous paragraph. It then goes on to say that this is the issue at the heart of her concerns. From the point of view ...
Mr Bailey: You are misrepresenting.
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, his manners are too bad for me to argue with him across the Table. The point that I am making is that, if the member for Fannie Bay and the Leader of the Opposition want to get it right, they should not be lazy about it and issue statements that are wrong or mislead people.
Right across Australia, the responsibility for subdivisions lies not with town councils but with ministers. It lies with the planning minister. From the point of view of what is being asserted here, and the powers that the opposition is suggesting a Labor government would confer on town councils, the member for Fannie Bay and the Leader of the Opposition are wrong. Their work lacks quality and is inadequate.
Page 771
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016