Page 807 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 18 March 2015
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The master plan encourages a diversity of building types that are complementary to the existing fine grain character clearly evident in Oaks Estate. The master plan aims to promote development that contributes to the existing setting and character of the village. It aims for quality development that encourages sustainable practice with a mix of living and working options, active streets and pedestrian activity and increased amenity for residents and visitors.
Oaks Estate is a place of significant heritage importance, as we have heard, and numerous heritage nominations have existed in the area, many of which have been unresolved for more than 10 years. In September last year the ACT Heritage Council provisionally registered two of the existing heritage nominations, the Oaks and Robertson House, with the support of the then President of the Oaks Estate Progress Association, Ms Karen Williams. And I am pleased to add that on 12 February this year the ACT Heritage Council further considered the nomination and fully registered the Oaks and Robertson House to the ACT heritage register.
The Oaks Estate precinct is also nominated to the ACT heritage register, and the ACT Heritage Council has not yet finalised its consideration on whether the precinct reaches the threshold to warrant listing. However, the nomination by the ACT Heritage Council is a priority and it is working towards making a decision on the provisional registration in the near future. The ACT Heritage Council’s considerations of potential values will, in part, be informed by studies undertaken in relation to the Oaks Estate master plan.
The master plan’s strategies and policies have been incorporated into a draft precinct code for Oaks Estate. The draft precinct code included as part of draft variation to the territory plan 328 has been prepared and was released for public notification for six weeks from 30 January to 16 March this year. We invited the community to have their say and to provide comments. DV328 proposes to rezone a block containing the Oaks Estate community hall from urban open space zone to community facility zone to better reflect the existing use of the land. It should be noted that this rezoning does not reflect any future intention to redevelop the site but has been undertaken to identify that the site is important as a community facility and should be retained as such.
DV328 also aims to protect the existing character of Oaks Estate by making amendments to the precinct map and code to limit the location of light industrial areas, limit building site coverage, introduce setbacks to protect the heritage character of Robertson House, and nominate active frontages and front boundary setbacks in the commercial area to provide an interesting ground floor frontage that encourages pedestrian activity and passive surveillance of the street regardless of whether the development is residential or commercial. DV328 also retains the current two-storey height limit with a new allowance permitting up to three storeys for development addressing Railway Street and/or McEwan Avenue. It also permits low, transparent residential front fencing consistent with the existing character of the area.
Now that the consultation period has closed, the Environment and Planning Directorate will review DV328 in light of the submissions received. It will also make any amendments considered necessary and refer the draft variation to me for consideration, along with a report on the outcomes of the consultation process.
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