DV351 Referral to ACT Standing Committee on Planning.

Mick Gentleman
ACT Minister for Planning
ACT Leglislative Assembly
G.P.O. BOX 1020 ACT 2610.

19-Jan-2016

Dear Mr Gentleman

DV351 Referral to ACT Standing Committee on Planning.

Further to your letter on 29th Nov 2015 I must again express my disappointment at DV351 not being referred to the ACT Standing Committee on Planning. I also feel that the planning process has not been properly followed in that DV351 and DA85 were not considered in parallel so as to ensure that both the ACT planning scheme and the National Capital Plan are internally consistent.

In relation to cross border issues we note that you put considerable emphasis on the need for cross border cooperation in relation to servicing issues “the arrangements for cross border service delivery does not form part of this variation and is an ongoing issue that requires in-depth
discussions between the ACT and NSW” and “this includes the requirement for a Cross Border Government Servicing Report that addresses service delivery and recovery of costs. Work on the Servicing Report has commenced and will continue in the coming months” .

However no mention is made of any formal cross border consideration in relation to environmental issues. We think this is a serious shortcoming.

We will be continuing to push for an independent cross border panel on cross border environmental issues to be established. We consider that as this development is the first cross border ACT/NSW urban development a rigorous legislative framework for environmental matters needs to be put in place as it will serve as a precedent for any future such developments. While we commend the current developer Riverview Pty Ltd on the amount of public consultation they have undertaken regarding environmental issues , it is nevertheless a very poor precedent for future cross border developments that environmental issues are left solely to the developer with both ACT and NSW governments effectively washing their hands of environmental issues.

We will be writing to both the ACT Chief minister Andrew Barr and the NSW Minister for Planning and environment seeking proper cross border coperation on environmental issues.

Yours sincerely,

Dr. Chris Watson
President, Ginninderra Falls Association
Ph. 02 6278 3079
79 Denny Street
LATHAM ACT 2615