Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Government Service Delivery, Senator Arbib. Since the federal government required the states and territories to suspend their planning laws to enable the stimulus package schools and social housing buildings to proceed quickly, what is the minister’s response to the many community complaints from all around Australia that developments that would not meet local and state environmental and social standards and laws are being rushed through? What action is he going to take to make sure these Commonwealth funded developments are compliant?

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Milne, for the question. For the economic stimulus to have had the desired effect on the economy, it was essential that it flowed quickly to support jobs. One of the key drivers of efficiencies in project implementation across the nation-building and economic stimulus plan has been the streamlining of—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The time to debate these issues is at the end of question time.

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

the streamlining of planning processes put in place by the states and territories. This matter had been long discussed and raised during COAG meetings and also during the negotiations on the COAG partnership agreement that was signed on 5 February 2009. In the early days of that plan, the government sector set to work with states and territories to streamline planning processes, cut red tape and fast track the delivery of key projects. The conditions of Commonwealth funding required that projects funded under the stimulus plan be completed within very tight time frames to ensure immediate fiscal objectives are met.

The government is determined that the projects be rolled out quickly and support jobs in local communities. Already almost 50,000 projects have been approved, and more than 38,000 of these projects are underway. The states and territories have developed processes in each jurisdiction through coordinators-general to streamline planning provisions. The extension of these specialised planning provisions beyond the Nation Building and Jobs Plan is a matter for each relevant state or territory government. At all times our Coordinator-General has worked with state coordinators and also state government departments to ensure that the stimulus package is rolled out in an orderly and proper fashion. The stimulus package is fulfilling its desired intent: 200,000 jobs in this country protected because of the stimulus plan including, according to the Master Builders Association, 50,000 jobs— (Time expired)

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Given that the Coordinator-General is seeing to it that these projects are rolled out in a proper fashion, how is it that in Evandale in Tasmania a social housing development has been approved when it does not meet the rules that the Commonwealth set, including those for energy efficiency and access to public transport and essential services?

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not have advice in relation to the matter raised in the good senator’s question. I am happy, Senator, to seek out that information and provide it to you as soon as possible.

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I appreciate that. Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. We would like to know why the Commonwealth is not implementing its own rules. Further, what safeguards have been put in place to prevent schools such as St Luke’s Grammar in Sydney withdrawing from existing planning processes under which they would very likely have been unsuccessful and then being waved through unchallenged through the stimulus package?

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said earlier, these matters of planning are dealt with by state government departments and state coordinators-general. Also, they are scrutinised by state parliaments. I inform the Senate that no program in the history of this country has had as much oversight and scrutiny as Building the Education Revolution. In fact, something like 300 boxes of documents have been provided to the New South Wales upper house. Every document on the Building the Education Revolution is on the public record for schools and the media to go through and look at what has been delivered. In relation to the social housing program, I want to talk about some of the fantastic outcomes for people who are on housing waiting lists. (Time expired)