❓ Question regarding the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure's recommendation to the member for Riverton concerning the Millbank on Moore development, specifically why she suggested following Hon Adele Farina's advice if she couldn't make the decision herself. The Minister defends her actions, stating she was providing guidance to the acting minister and that the recommendation was for readvertisement.
AnsweredQoN 172Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MILLBANK ON MOORE - DECISION BY MINISTER FOR PLANNING AND INFRASTRUCTURE
I have a supplementary question. If the minister could not make a decision on the Lombardo development at Millbank on Moore, why did she recommend to the member for Riverton when the file went to him that he should follow the advice of Hon Adele Farina? Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN
I have a supplementary question. If the minister could not make a decision on the Lombardo development at Millbank on Moore, why did she recommend to the member for Riverton when the file went to him that he should follow the advice of Hon Adele Farina? Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN
AnswerView source ↗
The advice was not that I did not have any authority. The advice, as I said, was that the town planning scheme could not be subject to a series of different decisions by different ministers; it had to be signed off as a single whole. The advice made no reference whatsoever to me not having any authority to make a decision. Of course, the then minister was an acting minister, and it was likely that he would want some guidance on policy matters. Therefore, I had the matters examined by Hon Adele Farina. She provided a series of recommendations. I looked at those recommendations and said that I believed all of them were sound and consistent with the government’s planning policy. I was seeking, quite properly, to give the acting minister some guidance on whether those recommendations were in line with the state’s town planning policy. I find this line of questioning extraordinary, because the recommendation made by Hon Adele Farina, which I forwarded, was that the Millbank proposal be readvertised. I cannot understand how this could be a set-up. It is just bizarre.
Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN replied: The advice was not that I did not have any authority. The advice, as I said, was that the town planning scheme could not be subject to a series of different decisions by different ministers; it had to be signed off as a single whole. The advice made no reference whatsoever to me not having any authority to make a decision. Of course, the then minister was an acting minister, and it was likely that he would want some guidance on policy matters. Therefore, I had the matters examined by Hon Adele Farina. She provided a series of recommendations. I looked at those recommendations and said that I believed all of them were sound and consistent with the government’s planning policy. I was seeking, quite properly, to give the acting minister some guidance on whether those recommendations were in line with the state’s town planning policy. I find this line of questioning extraordinary, because the recommendation made by Hon Adele Farina, which I forwarded, was that the Millbank proposal be readvertised. I cannot understand how this could be a set-up. It is just bizarre.
The advice was not that I did not have any authority. The advice, as I said, was that the town planning scheme could not be subject to a series of different decisions by different ministers; it had to be signed off as a single whole. The advice made no reference whatsoever to me not having any authority to make a decision. Of course, the then minister was an acting minister, and it was likely that he would want some guidance on policy matters. Therefore, I had the matters examined by Hon Adele Farina. She provided a series of recommendations. I looked at those recommendations and said that I believed all of them were sound and consistent with the government’s planning policy. I was seeking, quite properly, to give the acting minister some guidance on whether those recommendations were in line with the state’s town planning policy. I find this line of questioning extraordinary, because the recommendation made by Hon Adele Farina, which I forwarded, was that the Millbank proposal be readvertised. I cannot understand how this could be a set-up. It is just bizarre.
Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN replied: The advice was not that I did not have any authority. The advice, as I said, was that the town planning scheme could not be subject to a series of different decisions by different ministers; it had to be signed off as a single whole. The advice made no reference whatsoever to me not having any authority to make a decision. Of course, the then minister was an acting minister, and it was likely that he would want some guidance on policy matters. Therefore, I had the matters examined by Hon Adele Farina. She provided a series of recommendations. I looked at those recommendations and said that I believed all of them were sound and consistent with the government’s planning policy. I was seeking, quite properly, to give the acting minister some guidance on whether those recommendations were in line with the state’s town planning policy. I find this line of questioning extraordinary, because the recommendation made by Hon Adele Farina, which I forwarded, was that the Millbank proposal be readvertised. I cannot understand how this could be a set-up. It is just bizarre.
The advice was not that I did not have any authority. The advice, as I said, was that the town planning scheme could not be subject to a series of different decisions by different ministers; it had to be signed off as a single whole. The advice made no reference whatsoever to me not having any authority to make a decision. Of course, the then minister was an acting minister, and it was likely that he would want some guidance on policy matters. Therefore, I had the matters examined by Hon Adele Farina. She provided a series of recommendations. I looked at those recommendations and said that I believed all of them were sound and consistent with the government’s planning policy. I was seeking, quite properly, to give the acting minister some guidance on whether those recommendations were in line with the state’s town planning policy. I find this line of questioning extraordinary, because the recommendation made by Hon Adele Farina, which I forwarded, was that the Millbank proposal be readvertised. I cannot understand how this could be a set-up. It is just bizarre.
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