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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 14 Hansard (11 December) . . Page.. 5247 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

Mr Speaker, there will be, over time, an increase in the number of households required in inner Canberra suburbs. The question is: how is that moderated? How much will occur? How much should we make provision for?

Decreasing average household size is leading to demand for additional dwellings, even in established suburbs, Mr Speaker. As our household size decreases, we are seeing demand for additional dwellings within established areas, particularly as people age and choose to live in smaller dwellings within their existing neighbourhood.

Mr Speaker, on the issue around population projection figures in the spatial plan: it is accepted that, based on our current rate of growth, the level of population increase will be quite moderate. I think those are the figures that Ms Tucker is referring to.

What, though, is not taken into account, I think, in the figures that Ms Tucker is referring to is the need to make planning provision for a potentially higher rate of population growth. For example, we do not yet know the full impact of population growth emanating from people moving into the ACT as Sydney increasingly becomes too large in area and people seek accommodation elsewhere. We are already seeing that in terms of the Canberra-Sydney corridor; we are seeing increasing numbers of people choosing to live outside the immediate Sydney area. Indeed, they are now living as far south as Goulburn. We can only anticipate that that trend will continue over the next 25 to 30 years. That is one example of why the spatial plan makes provision for potentially a higher rate of population growth and to accommodate, therefore, a large population overall.

It is a planning provision; it is not a target. Any sensible strategic planning document will take account of potential increases in population and the need to accommodate that, and that is what the spatial plan does.

Mr Speaker, in relation to the specific details of Downer, Watson and Hackett: the neighbourhood planning team in the Planning and Land Authority will be releasing a draft plan for Downer, Watson and Hackett early in the new year, after the Christmas-New Year break. That will provide all residents of Downer, Watson and Hackett an opportunity to comment on the proposals in that, but I think, based on the advice I have received to date, residents should be assured that the level of household increase that is anticipated in those plans is very modest and is designed to take account of the fact that most increases in population will be accommodated within our town centres, our group centres and in any new greenfields areas that may occur into the future, as predicated in the draft spatial plan.

MR SPEAKER: A supplementary question?

MS TUCKER: Yes, thank you. Could you table in the Assembly the actual documents on which ACTPLA or the neighbourhood planning team have based their population estimates and the need for increased density to that degree in these inner north suburbs?

MR CORBELL: As I have indicated to Ms Tucker in my first answer, Mr Speaker, the level of intensification which she is referring to is the result of an independent design team's planning charette.

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