THE NATIONAL Capital Planning Authority is set for an overhaul. It seems the Federal Government is softening its anti-Canberra image by boosting tourism and investment activity in the city and the NCPA (to be renamed the National Capital Authority) is to be the vehicle in conjunction with the Territory Government.
The interest in extra tourism and investment is welcome, but it must not be at the expense of the NCPA’s primary function … the planning and preservation of the essential national elements of Canberra. The Federal Government must not walk away from its responsibility to the national capital, particularly this government, which has inherited the Menzies legacy. It should not think that the Territory Government should get a freer rein in the misguided belief that there is unnecessary duplication. There is a national interest here.
The dropping of the word “”planning” from the name is ominous. Though the planning function remains, it could signal an intent to be less active in that area while still fulfilling the statutory requirement.
This is quite possible given administrative discretions.
The main problem with the NCPA having a greater tourism-investment focus is that it can result in a conflict of goals … to take an illustratively extreme example, it might allow a fun park on Acton peninsula.
Australians who own this city will watch to see whether the NCPA’s pprime role is compromised. If this most recent launch into business and tourism is some bureaucratic self-preservation exercise, it may well fall flat as there will be no point in having an NCPA if it loses its direction in its key function area.