LIBERAL Peter Cain, will move a motion in the Legislative Assembly this week calling for an independent review of the changes proposed by the planning system review.

Mr Cain, opposition planning and land management spokesman, said the Planning Bill 2022, draft new Territory Plan and draft district strategies should not be supported in their current form as they have not received a fit and proper independent assessment.

“The Labor-Greens government’s proposed planning reforms in their current form are invalid. We need an independent expert evaluation to ensure the last five years spent on this planning system review have not been wasted. Especially as it remains unclear what is wrong with the current system,” he said.

“The planning system review was instigated by the planning minister and the chief planner, conducted by the planning minister and the chief planner and bestowed greater powers to the planning minister and the chief planner. It is effectively a deregulation of planning.

“Up until this point, it has entirely been the planning minister and the chief planner’s two-man show.

“To ensure that the ACT’s proposed new planning system has true integrity, it must be thoroughly reviewed by a panel of independent planning and architecture experts.”

Mr Cain said the Canberra Liberals believed the planning system needed to be transparent, clearly articulated and support the future vision of a Canberra that Canberrans wanted to see.