Mr PERRETT (Gympie—LNP)(3.21 pm):
I rise to speak briefly to the Economic Development and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2018. This bill aims to make a number of amendments to various acts. It has impacts on legislation relating to building, bodies corporate, local government, the environment, housing, liquor, exhibited animals, water distribution and retail restructuring, neighbourhood disputes, biosecurity, coastal protection and management and valuation.
This bill typifies the Labor government’s approach to governing. It shows the insincerity of this government in how it administers this state by ramming amendments to eight different acts into one omnibus bill. The Labor government’s form of governing seems to be about how many changes can be shoved through with little accountability and transparency. This bill is yet another in a long list of bills that are criticised by the Queensland Law Society. This bill highlights the lip-service that the government pays to local decision-making, to scrutiny, to accountability, transparency, and true and honest consultation.
In relation to this bill Greg Hallam, of the Local Government Association of Queensland, wrote—
At a time when the community is acutely aware of the need for transparency and accountability in government decision making, this Bill strikes a worrying chord.
He stated further—
… all levels of government need to ensure that community trust is always front of mind.
It is clear that the government is more interested in media spin than a real commitment to transparency and accountability. In some of the amendments the government, once again, ignores the concerns, wishes and rights of local communities. This government follows a long tradition of previous Labor governments that have a history of ignoring the input of local communities, especially in the regions.
In direct contrast to assurances from this government and the Premier of their commitment to open and accountable government, this bill will further water down the transparency and accountability of Building Queensland. Reporting requirements for Building Queensland will be halved. That means that it will become harder for communities such as Gympie to hold this government to account on the infrastructure delivery times that have been promised. It is not as if the current system is reliable. Already, it is commonplace for Building Queensland to constantly change the format of pipeline reports, making longitudinal comparisons difficult. Halving the frequency of the publication of pipeline reports will clearly reduce transparency and make it harder for local communities to track delivery dates. It will decrease the ability of local communities to hold the government to account and further restrict local decision-making. The government is attempting to draw a curtain across accountability and answerability to local communities.
In its submission the LGAQ stated that it is—
… concerned this legislation further erodes the ability of councils and their communities to have a say in the size, shape and pace of development in their region.
That should concern everyone. The government should not undermine or negate the importance of the role of a local government to provide and drive the vision for its region because, as the LGAQ further submits—
Councils are the level of government closest to community and best placed to understand their aspirations. Ensuring that a
genuine open partnership exists between the State and Councils when making decisions on priority development, should be
paramount if the communities needs are to be met.
As a former Gympie regional councillor and deputy mayor, it is clear to me that successive Labor governments have a problem with the role of local government. This government is no different. Local government should drive their region’s vision for the size, shape and pace of development of that region.
In an address to Gympie regional councillors last month, I highlighted to them the urgent imperative to update the GRC’s soon-to-expire economic development strategy as it provides the blueprint and vision for our region. If it is to be used properly as the foundation for infrastructure and funding allocations, that strategy needs to be current. The Gympie region not only has businesses either struggling or shutting up shop but also has to cope with the systemic problems of low average weekly earnings and high unemployment, including youth unemployment. Every dollar spent, every plan, every strategy should not be an ad hoc, or piecemeal solution; it should be relevant to growing the region and creating new opportunities. This government should not be putting handbrakes on local industries with increased red and green bureaucratic tape that does nothing more than make it harder for businesses to value-add, borrow, invest, grow and create new jobs.
This legislation highlights the Labor government’s addiction to centralised control. We are now into the fifth year of this government consolidating power at the expense of local decision-making. Clauses 22 and 23 of the bill demonstrate a direct dilution of localised decision-making. In these two clauses, the government proposes to remove the overriding economic or community need test and the requirement for provisional priority development areas and provisional land use plans to not
compromise the implementation of planning instruments. To compound the issue, there is no requirement for the minister to consult with and obtain the agreement of a relevant local government in planning for, or developing a PDA, establishing an infrastructure agreement and issuing a PDA exemption certificate. With this government’s history, there is no other conclusion than that this amendment is a deliberate attempt to circumvent local community concerns about development.
This government has an addiction to increasing investigative and enforcement powers for departmental officers—powers that are not available to even police without a warrant. We have seen this addiction to increase powers over and above those secured with a police warrant already being given to departmental officers in changes to fisheries laws and vegetation management laws. Now those increased powers are being given to planning officers. The government has provided no justification as to why these increased powers are either necessary or how they are in the public interest. Powers for inspectors to enter premises, stop vehicles, seize and dispose of information are regressive and significant. They should be granted only in the most serious of cases and not given as a matter of course. Although the LNP does not oppose this bill, it has serious reservations about the real agenda of this government to ignore the concerns, wishes and rights of local Queensland communities.