Page 1794 - Week 05 - Thursday, 16 May 2019
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ACT Government Architect held extensive discussions with state governments, including Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales and Western Australia. The key benefits of these discussions highlighted that, by establishing a design review panel design process in the ACT, both the development sector and government will have access to independent and expert advice. It will also complement and add value to the local design industry and the pre-application advice provided by government.
I now propose to outline some of the key features of the bill. The bill seeks to make amendments to the Planning and Development Act 2007 to establish a design review panel as part of the predevelopment application process for significant development proposals across the city. It also seeks to provide the Minister for Planning and Land Management with the authority to refer projects to the design review panel as required.
The bill outlines three main types of development that may be required either to engage with the design review panel or to voluntarily engage with the design review panel. The first is noted in the bill as a threshold development proposal. The focus of a threshold development proposal is for development proposals five storeys and above that are in the areas of our city experiencing higher levels of development pressure, specifically the town centres, areas along the main avenues and approach routes into Canberra and the City Renewal Authority’s urban renewal precinct. These proposals are required to engage with the design review panel.
The second type of development is described as a significant development proposal. For this development type, the bill includes a discretionary clause to give me, as the Minister for Planning and Land Management, the authority to refer to the panel projects that are considered to be of economic, social or environmental significance. This will ensure that the panel can also provide advice for major proposals that are outside the areas identified as a threshold development proposal.
The final development type is described in the bill as a general development proposal, and this will allow for a proponent to self-refer a development proposal to the design review panel. Allowing proponents to self-refer is an important part of the bill that will encourage those proponents who are outside the areas identified as a threshold development proposal but who are seeking advice to test the design outcomes for their specific development proposal. It is important to note that this approach is consistent with other design review panel processes undertaken nationally.
Other types of developments which are not permitted in the bill but which will have access to the design review panel include major government infrastructure projects and development sites that are sold by the territory through a deed of agreement requirement.
The design review panel process is guided by 10 principles for successful design review and these are well-established principles that were developed by the United Kingdom’s Design Council and are used nationally and internationally. These principles have been used to inform the design review panel process and the development of this bill to ensure that the panel’s advice will be independent and transparent.
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