Mr KIELY - 2004-12-01
My question expands on the question from the member for Drysdale. Can the minister advise the Assembly of the planning processes for the Darwin City Waterfront project and the public consultation this involves for all stages of the process?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is an important issue, because there is a focus on it. As government, we are ensuring that there is transparency through this whole development consent process, in which members of the public can make submissions to the Development Consent Authority, and can come and give evidence to the authority. The Development Consent Authority then makes reports to the minister, along with those submissions, and decisions are made.
In October, I approved the display of the amendment to the Planning Scheme for public comment. The Planning Scheme, as I said in answer to the previous question, provides a legal framework for future development.
It has been on display to engage the public, and 15 submissions have been received. The Development Consent Authority will hold a hearing on this Planning Scheme amendment on 8 December. All who have made a submission will be invited to that hearing. They will then prepare a report, which they will send, together with every single submission, to me. It is then my job to decide whether the exhibited document should be formally included in the Planning Scheme, or amended in some way before they are included.
When the Planning Scheme is in place, all future construction and development must go through the normal development application process with the Development Consent Authority. There are three such applications currently on exhibition. Again, this is done in order to seek public comment and input.
The applications that are currently on exhibition are for the convention centre, which I mentioned previously, the marine infrastructure, which has also been mentioned earlier this Question Time, the community infrastructure, including the lagoons, the wave pool, the boardwalk and the public park and amphitheatre. Comments on those may be made to the DCA up until 17 December. They will then hold hearings in mid-January.
I am not involved in the decisions, which are entirely a matter for the DCA which, members here would know, comprises a whole range of stakeholders, including representatives from the Darwin City Council in a special role. Every single building in this fantastic waterfront development has to go through the approvals process. There is no Hotel Darwin scenario, where buildings appear or disappear overnight - and that is about as close as the opposition ever got. What a mob of goners! They were going to build a convention centre, they did not do it, we are doing it, they are jealous.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Minister, I want you to withdraw that comment. We said we would not make unparliamentary comments today, so just withdraw. Without comment.
Dr BURNS: I withdraw, Madam Speaker.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is an important issue, because there is a focus on it. As government, we are ensuring that there is transparency through this whole development consent process, in which members of the public can make submissions to the Development Consent Authority, and can come and give evidence to the authority. The Development Consent Authority then makes reports to the minister, along with those submissions, and decisions are made.
In October, I approved the display of the amendment to the Planning Scheme for public comment. The Planning Scheme, as I said in answer to the previous question, provides a legal framework for future development.
It has been on display to engage the public, and 15 submissions have been received. The Development Consent Authority will hold a hearing on this Planning Scheme amendment on 8 December. All who have made a submission will be invited to that hearing. They will then prepare a report, which they will send, together with every single submission, to me. It is then my job to decide whether the exhibited document should be formally included in the Planning Scheme, or amended in some way before they are included.
When the Planning Scheme is in place, all future construction and development must go through the normal development application process with the Development Consent Authority. There are three such applications currently on exhibition. Again, this is done in order to seek public comment and input.
The applications that are currently on exhibition are for the convention centre, which I mentioned previously, the marine infrastructure, which has also been mentioned earlier this Question Time, the community infrastructure, including the lagoons, the wave pool, the boardwalk and the public park and amphitheatre. Comments on those may be made to the DCA up until 17 December. They will then hold hearings in mid-January.
I am not involved in the decisions, which are entirely a matter for the DCA which, members here would know, comprises a whole range of stakeholders, including representatives from the Darwin City Council in a special role. Every single building in this fantastic waterfront development has to go through the approvals process. There is no Hotel Darwin scenario, where buildings appear or disappear overnight - and that is about as close as the opposition ever got. What a mob of goners! They were going to build a convention centre, they did not do it, we are doing it, they are jealous.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Minister, I want you to withdraw that comment. We said we would not make unparliamentary comments today, so just withdraw. Without comment.
Dr BURNS: I withdraw, Madam Speaker.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016