There should be an independent review of planning decisions and new developments annually under the ACT's proposed new planning act, an inquiry has recommended.
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The report into "the biggest piece of legislation that will go through the Assembly this term" has set the tone for a lengthy debate in the territory's parliament next year.
Labor and the Greens have also been unable to agree on elements of the bill and the opposition has said the bill should not pass.
The Legislative Assembly's standing committee on planning released a report into its inquiry into the bill, making 49 recommendations.
The parliamentary inquiry attracted dozens of submissions from stakeholders criticising the bill.
Among the recommendations, the committee recommended the government consider employing an independent body of experts who can provide advice on planning decisions.
There should also be a review of governance arrangements "to ensure that entities and individuals that are intended to provide frank, fearless and independent planning advice to the chief planner, can do so".
The committee recommended there be an independent review of planning decisions to examine whether they are meeting the intentions of the new bill.
The ACT government should also provide greater clarification on what it means by its "outcomes-focused" planning approach, the report said.
Under the proposed bill, the planning system would shift to a more "outcomes-focused" approach. The current planning act is a rule and regulation-heavy system.
The act proposed to drop controversial "call in" powers but the government will still be able to bypass regular development applications on projects it deems a priority.
The new powers would allow the Planning Minister and Chief Minister to determine "territory priority projects", allowing development application approval to be expedited, unlike "call in" powers the government would need to determine the project prior to its application.
The government had also proposed to drop pre-development application consultation which is currently a requirement for major applications in the territory.
But the committee recommended the bill should be amended to include a requirement that proponents of significant developments are required to undertake consultation early in the process.
However, the three-member planning committee was unable to reach a consensus on whether the bill should pass.
Chair of the standing committee and Greens' member Jo Clay said, in the report, the new bill had "not yet struck the right balance on accountability for the new process".
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She expressed concerns about the "territory priority projects" proposal, saying it did not require sufficient consultation. Ms Clay said it should only apply to public projects such as community housing.
She made five extra recommendations.
"This is the biggest piece of legislation that will go through the Assembly this term," Ms Clay said.
"The committee had an extremely limited amount of time to go through the planning bill.
"I remain concerned that neither the bill nor our committee inquiry have covered everything in adequate detail."
Liberal committee member Mark Parton described the bill as "anti-community and anti-environment" and said it should not be passed.
He also expressed concerns with the proposed governance structure and "territory priority projects". Mr Parton said if the bill did pass, the government should not be able to use these powers on light rail.
"Under the proposed arrangement, the [Planning] Minister and the Chief Planner could justify any development as 'producing a good outcome' with minimal community input and Assembly or independent oversight as long as it fits within the interests of decision makers," Mr Parton said.
"As much as anything, the absence of an independent review into the governance arrangements of the planning system is the primary reason that the bill should be opposed notwithstanding the fact that such a review is contained within the consensus report."
Deputy chair and Labor member Suzanne Orr said the bill should be passed "following consideration of the matters raised in the committee report".
The planning bill has been heralded by Planning Minister Mick Gentleman as the most significant change to the territory's planning system since self-government in 1989.
The bill followed a three-year review of the territory's planning system.
An exposure draft of the new planning act was released for public consultation earlier this year and the bill was introduced in the Legislative Assembly in September.
Greens ministers were banished from cabinet discussions about the bill after leader Shane Rattenbury spoke out against elements of the bill to say further changes were needed, including stronger environmental protections and better community consultation.
Following the release of the committee report, Mr Rattenbury said amendments were needed before the bill is debated in the Legislative Assembly.
"This bill is of enormous interest to community and industry. It will impact the way Canberra grows and develops for decades to come," he said.
"The committee's report demonstrates the need for the ACT government to take a closer look at specific issues such as governance, community consultation and transparency."
Many submissions raised concerns about the governance of planning, with some calling for an independent board to be developed to oversee planning in the ACT. However, there were no proposed changes to governance in the bill.
The findings from the inquiry will be considered early next year.
"The bill, having undergone significant community and industry consultation, lays the groundwork for a shift to an outcomes-focused planning system, prioritising high-quality design and good planning and development outcomes for the people of the ACT," a government spokeswoman said.
"The bill will be supported by strong compliance procedures so that desired outcomes are being met. Access Canberra also has enforcement options for dealing with non-compliance and development matters."
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