Page 1214 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 24 March 2009
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Concerns were raised in relation to urban sustainability and the potential impacts of the proposed residential development, including impacts upon native flora and fauna, bushfire risk and protection as well as issues with the direct sale of part of block 2 section 75 adjoining the Canberra nature reserve.
There were concerns raised about infrastructure capacity, traffic impacts, visual amenity and noise resulting from the proposed residential development. Issues were also raised in relation to the affordable housing proposed and the associated social considerations. This included concerns relating to the servicing of the development in terms of access to shops, facilities and public transport.
Issues were raised in relation to the public consultation processes, perceived preferential treatment given to the developer, requirements for a preliminary assessment-environmental impact statement and alternative land use proposals.
A report on consultation was prepared by the ACT Planning and Land Authority responding to the issues raised in the submissions and a copy of that report is included with the documents I have just tabled. This consultation report responds in detail to all of the items raised in the submissions and the site has been determined as suitable for residential development.
I referred the draft variation under section 73(2) of the Planning and Development Act 2007 to the previous Legislative Assembly planning and environment standing committee. The committee tabled its report No 35 on 19 August 2008 in which it made nine recommendations, including a recommendation that the government proceed with its implementation.
The government has considered the issues that the planning and environment committee raised and prepared a government response that addresses the committee’s recommendations. I will now provide a brief outline of the government’s response to report No 35 of the Standing Committee on Planning and Environment. The committee’s first recommendation was that the proposed variation to the territory plan No 261 proceed, subject to the recommendations below. The government has noted and agreed to that recommendation.
The committee’s second recommendation was that the ACT Planning and Land Authority undertake a strategic assessment of all remaining CZ6 zones in the ACT to determine current supply. This is noted but not agreed, as ACTPLA undertook a strategic analysis of CZ6 zones in the ACT in 2006. The supply at the time was 231 hectares of which 107 hectares is unleased. This includes 52 hectares of unleased land in north Watson. The supply of unleased land in aggregate is sufficient to accommodate expected demand.
The committee’s third recommendation was that future variations to CZ6 zones in the territory plan be assessed by ACTPLA at a strategic level and that consideration be given to the impact on the entire stock of CZ6 zoned areas rather than on a site by site basis. This recommendation is noted and agreed by the government.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .