Crispin Hull

Three leading community groups have condemned a north Canberra redevelopment project which has attracted federal Better Cities funding so it can be a model for urban-renewal.

The Royal Institute of Architects, the National Trust and the Conservation Council of Canberra called on the Minister for Environment, Land and Planning, Bill Wood, seeking the inquiry into a joint ACT Housing Trust-private redevelopment on Section 22, Braddon.

Mr Wood said yesterday that as this was the first urban renewal under the new planning laws it was inevitable that it was attract attention.

He was prepared to demonstrate the integrity of the legislation and process. He would discuss them with the department and taking options to Government.
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The Liberal and Labor Parties and Independent Michael Moore are in broad agreement over the ACT’s new electoral boundaries, according submissions made public yesterday.

They all recommended a chunk of south Woden would have to go into the Tuggeranong electorate to make up the numbers.

They all addressed the problem of how to create two five-member and one seven-member electorates out of Canberra’s townships using natural boundaries and at the same time getting the right number of voters in each electorate so each vote is of equal value.

All acknowledged that at least some part of one natural community would have to be hived off to another to get the numbers right.
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People in the community should have a right to appeal against planning decisions, according to the chair of the ACT Legislative Assembly’s planning and infrastructure committee, David Lamont.

But a leading Canberra developer said Canberrs should get away from urban guerilla war on a block-by-block basis.

Mr Lamont said last week (week ends april 24) he was personally in favour of granting third-party appeal rights in planning cases, but it was a matter for the committee.

The committee is looking at the Draft Territory Plan. At present only parties directly affected can appeal against design and siting applications. Third-party appeal rights are restricted to lease-purpose appeals.
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The transition from print to the electronics has been made more successfully by journalists than the trip the other way.

Chris Anderson is about to find out whether that holds true for journalism management as well as its practice. The former Fairfax executive has been appointed to the new position as head of Information Services Television at the ABC. He takes up the job in mid-May and will oversee the ABC’s television news, current affairs, international TV service into Asia and eventually pay-TV.

He said this week that the Prime Minister, Paul Keating, was “”absolutely right” with his push into Asia.

“”I’m a great advocate of the region. I used to chip Malcolm Fraser when he was Prime Minister when I was on the üHerald that he should push the role of government into Japan and the tiger economies.
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In the previous ACT shadow ministry Trevor Kaine, as well as being leader, was spokesman for the aging and disabled and Tony de Domenico was spokesman for urban services and rural matters.

Each was also spokesman for himself.

Kaine would have been 67 at the next election and 70 at the end of the next term. He was therefore disabled.

On the other hand, de Domenico thought that the urban and rural portfolios, logically, embraced all. If it wasn’t rural it must be urban and if it wasn’t urban it must be rural. And so, therefore, he was spokesman for everything.

And he spoke on everything; about everyone; to anyone; especially about how he would be leader.
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The ACT has recorded the largest fall of people in custody over the past four years of any state or territory, prompting the ACT shadow attorney-general to say people are walking the street who in the states would be put away.

The 40 per cent fall was recorded in a survey by the Australian Institute of Criminology, details of which were published yesterday.

The fall prompted the ACT shadow Attorney-General, Gary Humphries, to say it was a mixed blessing.

“”It is of concern to me that people are walking the city that in the states would have been put away,” he said, “”We may be either more enlightened, or more naive.”
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The Australian Bureau of Statistics is to conduct a survey of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from March to June next year.

The survey was recommended by the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.

It will enable Aborigines and Islanders to provide data about their aspirations, objectives and needs and provide a way of measuring progress towards them.

A draft survey has been issued after extensive consultation.
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The new shadow attorney-general, Daryl Williams, QC, said yesterday that the republican debate had been without direction because the Government’s participation in it had been random.

Until the Government came up with an agenda he would not be launching into taking positions.

Mr Williams, a Perth barrister, makes the rare trip from candidate straight to the front bench. He will also assist the leader, Dr Hewson on constitutional affairs.
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Three thousand extra people in under the ACT Government’s draft plan for North Watson would place unacceptable demands on existing shops, roads and schools in existing suburbs, according to a community group.

The Watson Community Association said yesterday that the plan provided for no new schools or shops in the new area, so those people would come to Watson creating awful traffic congestion.
The draft plan was made public last week.
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The “”Aboriginal Provisional Government” has warned the Federal Government against getting an agreement with selected Aboriginal groups about land rights following the Mabo case.

The chairman on the APG, Bob Weatherall, said yesterday that the Government was talking to groups like the National Reconciliation Council. He had no objection to those discussions, but they could not bind the Aboriginal people.

“”If the Federal Government is purporting to hold its selected Aborigines up as the representative voice of Aboriginal people, then they are wrong,” he said. “”Any agreement reached between the Federal Government and the selected Aborigines will not be binding on any future moves by Aborigines to explore our inherent rights.”
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