Page 79 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 15 February 2011
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through the territory plan variation process. The planning of bus routes operated by ACTION is administered by Territory and Municipal Services but ACTION has indicated to date it is unable to make a commitment to the service until the assessment of the final roads plan has been completed.
Recommendation 5 of the committee is that mature remnant native trees in good condition be retained within open space wherever possible. This is agreed. The residential subdivision development code provides for the protection and retention of all exceptional high and medium-value trees identified in the tree management plan and endorsed by the Conservator of Flora and Fauna. The conservator is consulted as part of the estate development plan assessment process prior to its approval by ACTPLA.
Recommendation 6 is that the committee recommends that the variation to the territory plan proceed subject to the recommendations I have just outlined above, and the government notes that.
In response to the additional comments made by Ms Le Couteur that the development should include a mix of household and dwelling types, this is noted. The draft variation will establish a residential RZ1 suburban zoning for the site to allow development of a mix of dwelling types within a low-density residential environment. A combination of both multi-unit and single dwellings is proposed for the site. The planning report and the proponent have indicated that the estate will be marketed to persons nearing retirement and retirees. Nonetheless, this would not prevent a mix of households moving into the estate.
Ms Le Couteur also recommended that ACTPLA should ensure that the development is consistent with reducing the ACT’s greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent. This is noted. The estate development plan for this development will be assessed against the relevant codes in the territory plan, and the ACT government is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the territory.
The planning policy is being reviewed under the sustainable futures program and changes to the territory plan have been proposed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by improving solar access for residential development via some separate draft variations. A reference group has reviewed these changes, after many comments were received on the drafts. The timing of the finalisation of these variations will be in the very near future, subject to a cabinet process, and then the development will need to be consistent with the provisions of the territory plan that are in place at the time it is assessed.
Ms Le Couteur’s recommendation 3, that a bus service should be provided as part of the development and that, if the ACT government is not about to do so, then the development should not proceed, is not agreed. ACTION and the Department of Territory and Municipal Services have been consulted about servicing the estate and this advice has been included in the response to recommendation 4 above.
Ms Le Couteur’s final recommendation is that the existing estate be modified to allow a bus service and the bus service should be provided for both the new and the existing development and that the modifications to the road network to allow a bus service
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