Page 5413 - Week 14 - Thursday, 30 November 2017
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As Canberra matures into a major metropolitan centre, residents are becoming more diverse and calling for a city that meets their differing needs. The discussion paper on housing choices is looking at exactly that: how can we better meet the needs of our residents, be they single, couples, families or groups.
As I found out during the consultation on the minister’s statement of planning intent, there is no longer the presumption that everyone aspires to a large suburban block with a garden. People want different forms of housing in the suburbs as well as in centres and mixed-use areas. This includes townhouses, terrace houses, secondary dwellings and apartments, as well as a continuing demand for detached homes. While this is being driven to an extent by the younger generation, it is also being sought by older residents who do not want to leave the suburb they may have lived in for 50 years but no longer want or are able to live in a big home that can be better used by a larger family.
MR PETTERSSON: Minister, how can the community provide their feedback on the housing choices discussion paper?
MR GENTLEMAN: We want to get the residential planning and design right. Community engagement on the discussion paper is a valuable way for Canberrans to contribute their ideas on how to achieve better housing outcomes and be part of the planning process for our city.
There are several ways in which the community can have their say on this important issue. The first stage of consultation will include online engagement, via the your say website, followed by facilitated workshops and community presentations. The online community engagement will run until Friday, 9 March 2018. Interested members of the community have the opportunity to complete an online survey, join a discussion group or provide a submission.
The online engagement has already proven to be of great interest to the community. In the first week alone—that is, from 15 to 21 November—there were over 900 unique visits to the your say website and just over 200 responses to the online survey. The facilitated workshops and community presentations will occur during February and March 2018.
The next phase of the consultation will be the establishment of a collaboration hub through which we will talk to both industry and community on how demonstration housing projects could be used to showcase innovative housing design and delivery in Canberra. We are seeking to test future policy direction using real world projects while also delivering more innovative, sustainable and affordable housing for the city.
MS LE COUTEUR: Minister, what values or criteria will you be using to evaluate the various suggestions for change that you will get from the public as part of this community consultation?
MR GENTLEMAN: I thank Ms Le Couteur for her question. There are a number of criteria set in the discussion paper. Some of the opportunities we are looking to
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