Page 2295 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 1 August 2017
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I have previously talked in the Assembly about how the ACT’s planning processes, which I believe are generally good, have some limitations. The planning process fails to reach many people in our community, like young people and working families, who have a legitimate stake in consultation. While the planning process offers the community some input into development, this can be late in the process.
That is why the government has proposed new guidelines for comment which will encourage developers to meaningfully engage with the community on a proposed development before a DA is submitted. The announcement on 17 July sets out guidelines for developers, such as making documents like site plans and landscaping plans available for public viewing, conducting face-to-face engagement sessions with a diverse cross-section of the community, and submitting their consultation report to the planning and land authority as part of any subsequent DA documentation.
On top of encouraging developers to consult with the community, the ACT government has also made it easier for community members to view current development applications. Version 2 of the DA finder app allows users to receive notifications on proposed developments in their area. The latest version allows users to search not only DAs but also environmental impact studies and Territory Plan variations. This makes the system significantly easier to navigate for people in the community.
We are also engaging in community consultation as part of the new community panel process for Kippax and Curtin centre master planning. Community panels are considered to be a helpful way to consider development proposals, and this is a method of consultation that the ACT government wants to get behind and to help facilitate.
I know, with Curtin in particular, in my electorate, many residents of the community had very legitimate concerns over the scale of a proposed development at the shops. Many residents got in touch with me as their local government member. Many residents submitted an objection through the official DA process and voiced their concern online, through petitions and through their local community groups. Under the new community panel process, that last segment of people will also officially be able to have their voice heard on this ongoing matter.
Community panels will bring together the community and developers, with the ACT government facilitating. The process will allow for an open discussion to consolidate views on proposals, and the ACT government will work to keep the broader community informed of the outcomes.
Earlier, on 25 May, we had the Woden roundtable, to bring together stakeholders in the Woden town centre community to start work on the regeneration of Woden. Consultation on the Territory Plan variation for Woden town centre was also extended to enable the feedback from that process to be fed in. That was released last week in its final form.
These new elements of consultation on DAs complement our current process through the your say website, which allows people to engage online. Your say is key to
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