Walsh (and later Pesutto) claimed big developments,including those in Labor’s Big Build Project,were suffering unnecessary delays in the cultural heritage evaluation and approval process,placing the blame for higher construction costs squarely on the current strict compliance criteria and processes.
AsThe Agerevealed last week,less than 1 per cent of development in the state – 0.91 per cent to be precise – ends up in arbitration,but setting that data aside,Bull’s speech regarding the Cultural Heritage Amendment Bill (2015) makes it clear the Napthine/Baillieu Coalition government was the brains behind the proposed reforms to the legislation almost a decade ago.
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In his speech,Bull stresses the amendment bill is composed largely of recommendations provided in a 2014 exposure draft released by the previous government that followed a Coalition-commissioned inquiry into the establishment and effectiveness of registered Aboriginal parties.
“Included in that are a number of new offences that are being created by the bill to allow greater enforcement in relation to those who do not respect Aboriginal heritage and those who do not comply with the cultural heritage management plans,” Bull said in his 2016 speech.
“It also takes a step towards making those who do not do the right thing,who do not abide by the rules,who do not show appropriate respect,accountable for their actions.”
The long-standing National Party member for Gippsland East went on to again make clear the amendments in the bill were actually “the work of the previous government ... there was a lot of work done by the previous government that needs to be recognised”.