Page 2185 - Week 06 - Thursday, 8 June 2017
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(3) The Territory Plan provides the policy framework for the administration of planning in the ACT. The Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate administer the Territory Plan and must follow the requirements set out in the Planning and Development Act 2007 (the Act).
Proposals for technical amendments to the Territory Plan must satisfy the requirements of the Act. If not, then a full Territory Plan variation is required.
Technical amendments allow for minor changes to be made to the Territory Plan. These include clerical, routine, language, technical, operational and minor policy updates to the Territory Plan.
A decision was made to add “social housing” to the common terminology under the definition of “supportive housing” in 2015 via a technical amendment, rather than a Territory Plan Variation. This occurred in technical amendment TA2015-16. The addition of “social housing” to the common terminology of “supportive housing” was considered to be a clarification of the language of the Territory Plan without changing the substance of the Territory Plan under section 87(2)(e) of the Act. This change was made to provide a further example of the type of permitted development that clarified the meaning and context of the definition of “supportive housing” in the Territory Plan. There was no change to the substance of the Territory Plan.
This category of technical amendment requires limited public consultation and the technical amendment was publicly notified in accordance with the requirements of the Act.
(4) The Government does not consider the 2015 technical amendment (TA2015-16) a “significant change” to the Territory Plan. This is because the change was made to provide an additional example of the type of development permitted under the definition of “supportive housing” by listing “social housing” under Some Common Terminology in the Territory Plan. This list is considered to be helpful, but not exhaustive, in providing a level of clarity around the residential uses permitted within the category of “supportive housing”, provided they can still meet the requirements to be considered “supportive housing”. TA2015-16 did not change the definition of “supportive housing”.
(5) The current Government definitions are as follows:
(a) “Public housing” is a term in general usage around Australia. It is understood to mean housing owned by a State of Territory public housing authority, including properties managed by non-government agencies.
In the ACT, public housing is defined through a Disallowable Instrument under the Housing Assistance Act 2007. The Disallowable Instrument is the Housing Assistance Public Rental Housing Assistance Program 2013 (No.1). The definition is as follows:
Public housing means rental housing properties held by the Commissioner for Social Housing (the housing commissioner), and available for the provision of rental housing assistance under this program.
(b) “Social housing” is a term in general usage around Australia, such as in the former National Partnership Agreement on Social Housing. This term is considered to
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