Bill: Planning Amendment (Better Decisions Made Faster) Bill 2025 – Council Amendments

BILL:

‘PLANNING AMENDMENT (BETTER DECISIONS MADE FASTER) BILL 2025 – COUNCIL AMENDMENTS’.

Tuesday, 3 February 2026.

James NEWBURY (Brighton) (19:55):

I want to start by saying that the Government gave an ironclad commitment that this set of Amendments would not be dealt with tonight. I am appalled that the Government would break their word on the first day of the –

Members interjecting.

James NEWBURY: No, no, no. Government Members, when you give your word in terms of managing the Chamber – there is a lot of management of this Chamber which is dealt with in good faith, and for the Government on this basic principle on day one of the year to break their word is appalling. It is absolutely appalling. The Leader of the House personally told me not 1 hour ago that these Amendments would not be dealt with tonight. I offered to facilitate and said we could deal with them quickly because in my view we would not be calling a division, and we will not be calling a division. But in good faith I offered to assist with the management of those Amendments. So how sneaky could you possibly be on a non-controversial matter?

Sonya Kilkenny: On a point of order, Acting Speaker, we have a very narrow debate here on the Amendments, and I would ask you to ask the Member to come back directly to the Amendments that are before the House.

The ACTING SPEAKER (John Mullahy): I ask the member for Brighton to come back to the Amendments.

James NEWBURY: I am speaking to the Amendments, Acting Speaker. These Amendments that I am holding are the Amendments that the Leader of the House gave an ironclad commitment would not be dealt with tonight. Not an hour ago across the Chamber the Leader of the House said to me these would not be dealt with. How can you possibly have any integrity when you cannot keep your word for an hour?

Sonya Kilkenny: On a point of order, Acting Speaker, I reiterate my Point of Order that the scope of debate here is very narrow, and it is on the Amendments before the House. I also note that the Opposition did not oppose these Amendments in the other place, and I would ask you to ask the Member to come back to the very narrow debate on these Amendments.

The ACTING SPEAKER (John Mullahy): I bring the Member for Brighton back to the Amendments.

James NEWBURY: I note that there are some three pages of amendments which have just been moved, not in the original form as they were passed through the Council. They were just passed to me in the Chamber as they were circulated some 3 minutes before I got up to speak on them. How could I possibly be across cross-referencing these Amendments? This is outrageous. This is spurious.

Steve Dimopoulos: On a point of order, Acting Speaker, the Member is not talking about the Amendments.

James NEWBURY: I am talking directly about them.

Steve Dimopoulos: No, he is not. If he wants to make a point of order about process, he should make a point of order about process. He is not talking about the amendments.

The ACTING SPEAKER (John Mullahy): I bring the Member for Brighton back to the Amendments.

James NEWBURY: I am speaking directly about the Amendments, Acting Speaker. I directly referred to the Amendments that were passed to me. How much more closely could I speak to the Amendments than by talking about the substance of what has been handed to me? It is absolutely outrageous to be passed these Amendments, which I have already noted the Coalition will not be opposing. However, this is a set of Amendments that there was an ironclad commitment would not be dealt with tonight and would be dealt with tomorrow. It says everything about integrity.

We have spoken about this Bill in substance. This Bill in substance makes substantive changes to the planning system, which of course these Amendments go further to, which of course take away community rights and strip away community rights. What are communities? Communities have no say when it comes to the planning system under this Government.

Sonya Kilkenny: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, I reiterate my earlier point of order, which was to remind the member that we are on a very narrow debate here, and I ask that you bring the Member back to the debate on the Amendments before the House.

Roma Britnell interjected.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Without assistance, please, Member for South-West Coast. The Member for Brighton to continue on the Amendments in front of the house.

James NEWBURY: We are speaking on the Amendments, and that is, I think, the fourth interjection by the sneaky Minister who broke the Government’s word.

Members interjecting.

James NEWBURY: It is sneaky to break your word.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The Member for Brighton to resume his seat.

Members interjecting.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! We can sit here a long time and wait for –

Members interjecting.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Imputations on Members are disorderly. The Member for Brighton to continue on the Amendments without imputations.

James NEWBURY: Just to provide you context – as you were not in the chamber, Deputy Speaker – for the Amendments themselves, what I was speaking to before you came back into the chair was the ironclad agreement that the Government gave that these Amendments would not be dealt with tonight and would be dealt with tomorrow, the ironclad commitment which has now been broken. I am refreshing you in terms of the debate that occurred just prior to you coming back into the Chamber and my disappointment that, of course, on the first day –

Members interjecting.

James NEWBURY: They would not know how to lie straight in bed, these people.

Members interjecting.

James NEWBURY: It is true.

Sonya Kilkenny: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, again I remind the member that the debate here is narrow and it is on the Amendments. I also note that the Shadow Minister for Planning was advised that this Amendment would be debated tonight.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Thank you, Attorney-General. The second point was not a point of order. The first point –

Members interjecting.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Who is going to be first this year? The Member for Brighton to continue, without imputations, on the Amendment, and other matters are matters for debate and not a matter for the Chair to decide on content or if factual.

James NEWBURY: I have made my point. In relation to the Bill and the Amendments that they pertain to, I have also made the point during the substantive debate when the Bill was first in this place, that this Bill does strip away the rights of the community. It entirely strips away the rights of the community, and it centralises –

Steve Dimopoulos: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, the Member for Brighton is being dishonest with himself, the community of Brighton and the rest of the Victorian community.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: That is not a point of order, Minister, and you know that frivolous points of order are annoying. The Member for Brighton to continue.

James NEWBURY: Deputy Speaker, I could not have said it better myself: annoying. I mean, that is the comment of the day. Thank you, Deputy Speaker.

Steve Dimopoulos: Better than being dishonest.

James NEWBURY: That is right. So, you are annoying; they are dishonest. That is fair. I will cop that.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Brighton, through the Chair. You are not innocent yourself.

James NEWBURY: Again, the Coalition will not be opposing these Amendments. I reiterate my disappointment in relation to these Amendments.