Legislative Assembly
16637 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Wednesday 8 June 2005 ______ Mr Speaker (The Hon. John Joseph Aquilina) took the chair at 10.00 a.m. Mr Speaker offered the Prayer. ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT AMENDMENT (INFRASTRUCTURE AND OTHER PLANNING REFORM) BILL Second Reading Debated resumed from 27 May 2005. Mr CHRIS HARTCHER (Gosford) [10.00 a.m.]: The Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Infrastructure and Other Planning Reform) Bill in many aspects adopts Coalition policy. However, the Coalition has some major concerns with the bill, and chief among these is the new concept of "critical infrastructure". If a project is declared as critical infrastructure there are no appeals against approval decisions, and there are no third party legal challenges under any environmental and planning statutes. If a project is declared critical infrastructure, State environmental planning policies and other environmental planning instruments will not affect the proposal. In his second reading speech the Minister said: … for critical infrastructure, the environmental assessment process should not be about whether such projects should be approved, but, rather, how they will proceed. A concept approval will be required for all critical infrastructure projects, but no further planning approvals. What is defined as critical infrastructure? In the opinion of Craig Knowles—the Minister for Orange Grove— critical infrastructure is essential for State economic, environmental or social reasons, as he said in his second reading speech. This provision is fraught with danger. How can the people of New South Wales trust Craig Knowles with such power? He is the Minister at the centre of the Orange Grove scandal, and the Minister who pleaded guilty to, and was convicted in court for, driving with the prescribed concentration of alcohol in his blood.
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