Legislative Scrutiny Committee hands down report on Territory Co-ordinator Bill

A parliamentary committee tasked with scrutinising the Territory Co-ordinator Bill has made dozens of recommendations for changes to the controversial draft legislation before it is expected to pass in the coming sittings.

A parliamentary committee tasked with scrutinising the controversial Territory Co-ordinator Bill has made dozens of recommendations for changes to the draft legislation before it is expected to pass in the coming sittings.

The relatively modest recommended changes include defining “economic development”, removing the Local Government Act from the scope of the Territory Co-ordinator’s influence, and committing to an independent review in five years time.

Interim Territory Co-ordinator Stuart Knowles.

The Legislative Scrutiny Committee released its report into the Territory Co-ordinator Bill last week after receiving hundreds of submissions and hosting two days of hearings.

The Territory Co-ordinator was a centrepiece election commitment of the CLP, promising to cut red tape and promote economic growth.

The proposed Bill will establish the Territory Co-ordinator, granting both him and the responsible minister a range of powers to co-ordinate and consolidate regulatory processes for projects and developments of economic significance to the NT.

Submissions received by the scrutiny committee were overwhelmingly opposed – 285 were against, just two supported the Bill as is, 10 supported it with changes, and seven were neutral.

The parliamentary committee noted seven major themes in the feedback: concerns about negative impacts on the environment, democracy, social and public health, and Aboriginal interests, coupled with limited avenues for scrutiny or review.

Some suggested a lack of objective criteria for the Territory Co-ordinator’s decision-making would create uncertainty for investors, and many expressed support for the Bill’s overall intention to drive the NT’s economic development.

The scrutiny committee – comprised of three CLP members, one Labor and one independent – recommended the Bill be passed, with 24 relatively minor amendments.

That included defining economic development in the legislation, and broadening the meaning of economic significance to incorporate the potential for public sector investment.

It also accepted the Local Government Association of NT’s argument that giving the Territory Co-ordinator oversight of councils would undermine “recognition of local government as a distinct and essential sphere of government”.

Justine Davis and Chansey Paech both submitted dissenting reports. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Committee members Chansey Paech (Shadow Attorney-General) and Justine Davis (Johnston MLA) both wrote dissenting reports recommending that the Bill not pass.

Ms Davis said that while she largely supported the scrutiny committee’s recommendations, they failed to address the major problems with the Bill.

“The scrutiny committee heard repeatedly that this Bill erodes the integrity of our democratic processes, removes fundamental rights from individuals, threatens the rights of traditional owners and Aboriginal communities, poses unprecedented threats to our environment, and creates unacceptable legal uncertainty for government bodies, investors and community,” she said.

Mr Paech called for ‘No-Go Zones’ to be established, where the Territory Co-ordinator’s powers would not apply.

He also wanted the Heritage Act to be removed from the list of implicated Acts.

Leader of Government Business Steve Edgington said the Territory Co-ordinator Bill would “herald a new way of developing the Territory”.

“The Territory Co-ordinator will give us a competitive edge against other states, who have not undertaken the level of reform we have,” he said.

Originally published as Legislative Scrutiny Committee hands down report on Territory Co-ordinator Bill