Mr Rundle asks about short-term measures to ensure Shalom House's continued operation. The Minister responds that current actions won't impact it in the short-to-medium term and clarifies the interpretation of 'community purpose' to avoid unintended consequences, potentially redefining rehab centres within planning schemes.

AnsweredQoN 763Legislative Assembly
Asked
11 October 2018
Portfolio
Planning

QuestionView source ↗

SHALOM HOUSE
763. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Minister for Planning:
I have a supplementary question.
What short-term measures will the minister put in place to ensure that Shalom House
can continue to operate, considering it does such good work?

AnswerView source ↗

It does operate, and nothing I am
doing would impact it in the short to medium term. I am looking at the
interpretation of community purpose. As I said, if a rehab centre opened up
tomorrow next to a school as a consequence of the interpretation of community
purpose, I am sure that the member would come in and say that that is a problem.
I am trying to avoid the consequential issues of an interpretation. As I said,
that may mean making the definition clearer so that, through planning schemes
and consultation with communities, the communities know that community purpose could
be a rehabilitation centre, or it may mean that we have a new definition for
rehab centres that can work with the local community. That is what I am doing,
and as Minister for Planning I have a responsibility to make sure that we
understand the consequences of decisions made and the implications they have
for the community and the councils across the state, and that is what I am
doing.

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