Page 742 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 17 March 2015
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keep other retailing services at the local shops, like the butcher, the hairdresser and the local takeaway. All these small businesses are worthy of a chance to thrive, and this really is at the heart of this variation.
On the other DVs, an omnibus of seven draft variations to the territory plan was released in 2014 in support of the government’s land release and public housing redevelopment programs. I have approved the first two variations from the omnibus. The remaining five draft variations are still under review and will be provided to me in due course.
The omnibus territory plan variation was designed to provide the community with more information about the sites, both in a broad context and on a site-specific basis. I believe the omnibus territory plan variation process has been very successful in this regard. The early consultation has been well received by the community, and the comments that have been made on the various sites have helped inform the planning outcomes the territory is trying to achieve. These outcomes are a revitalised public housing portfolio and land that is released for its highest and best use while delivering the highest return.
The omnibus draft variations were released for public comment between 7 November and 19 December 2014. Variation 336 Symonston proposes to rezone land at block 8 section 1 Symonston and block 1 section 115 Symonston from IZ1 general industry zone to the IZ2 industrial mixed use zone and the PRZ1 urban open space zone. There are also consequential amendments to the Symonston precinct map and code.
Many benefits arise from the rezoning of this land. Firstly, the IZ2 mixed use industrial zoning will make more land available for industrial uses. The site was underutilised in the IZ1 general industry zoning. The much-needed IZ2 zoned land will be released for sale as part of the land release program. Variation 336 Symonston attracted one public submission that supported the rezoning of part of the site to protect the grasslands but indicated a preference for more of the site to be protected. A significant portion of the site has now been included in the PRZ1 urban open space zone. This protects the high value grassland areas of the site from future development. This is a significant win for the environment.
Variation 338 Mitchell proposes to amend the Mitchell precinct map and code to allow civic administration as assessable development on block 3 section 54 Mitchell. It also amends the territory plan definition of “civic administration” to add “archive” as a common term. This site is currently included in the NUZ1 broadacre zone. This zone prohibits civic administration. This prohibition is not entirely consistent with the National Capital Plan, which generally allows a larger range of development in the broadacre areas than the territory plan broadacre zone. The Environment and Planning Directorate has been monitoring this situation and is looking to reconcile the difference between the National Capital Plan and the territory plan broadacre provisions as part of a broader strategic review of the broadacre zone.
In the meantime, the ACT government does not wish to inhibit development in the NUZ1 broadacre zone. When the land release program identified a need for land for larger scale civic administration uses, including archives, this site at Mitchell was
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