Page 715 - Week 02 - Thursday, 25 February 2010
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For the information of members, I present the following paper:
Planning and Development Act, pursuant to subsection 16(2)—Statement of Planning Intent 2010.
I seek leave to make a statement in relation to the paper.
Leave granted.
MR BARR: The Planning and Development Act provides the Minister for Planning with an opportunity to give the ACT Planning and Land Authority statement of planning intent. In 2007, I released my first statement of planning intent. That statement established key planning priorities for the government, and these included serving Gungahlin, planning system reform, affordable housing and land release, and addressing climate change.
Among other things, the new directions resulted in mandated water use reductions of 40 per cent for new developments; the creation of a more compact city through the development of the compact block code; and the Gungahlin town centre planning study.
By ensuring a high number of planning-ready blocks, there has also been a significant increase in land supply, with 3,470 dwelling sites released in 2007-08 and 4,339 new sites released in 2008-09. These directions remain relevant and continue to form part of the government’s planning priorities. A changing environment, however, means that we need to update our priorities and ensure that we are responding to new challenges.
The 2010 statement of planning intent builds on my first statement, refining the planning policy directions laid out in 2007 and responding to a range of new challenges. In setting priorities for the future of planning in Canberra, the statement outlines a direction or intent whereby Canberra will maintain its unique status as the nation’s capital while providing the living environment that Canberrans want and Canberrans deserve.
My 2010 statement also includes the intent that the government will ensure Canberra has a planning system which meets the challenge of climate change, supports economic growth and involves the community in decision making. These issues have come to the fore in the context of the impacts of the global financial crisis and the actions taken to ensure that the territory’s economy is strong enough to enable the ACT to work through the crisis. To reflect these messages, the key areas in my 2010 statement of planning intent are: supporting Canberra’s economic growth; preparing for a sustainable future; planning for a more compact, more affordable city; planning for our neighbourhoods; continuing to listen to the community; and keeping politics out of planning
In terms of supporting Canberra’s economic growth, in the short to medium term there is an ongoing need for the development assessment system and construction services to be responsive to new demands. In this respect, the new development assessment system is already showing itself to be flexible and adaptable.
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