Page 4189 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 23 October 2019
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As an example of how the ACT government has addressed the topic of pedestrian-friendly design, I would now like to discuss variation 348, which incorporated active living principles into the Territory Plan. It formed part of the ACT government’s healthy weight initiative and aims to increase the physical activity levels and health of the ACT population. Variation 348 amended the rules and criteria to prioritise active travel, guarantee accessibility of land uses by active travel, promote connectivity to surrounding active travel networks, support the development of attractive streets and public places, and introduce the concept of minimum safe walking distances in local, group and town centres, along with bus stops, public parks and community facilities.
Like so many cities around the world, Canberra faces challenges with improving economic prosperity, building resilience to climate change, managing urban renewal, and accommodating a growing and changing community. We face the critical question of how to grow while balancing and protecting Canberra’s qualities as a livable city. The refresh of the ACT planning strategy 2018 provided the opportunity to consider these challenges and how best to plan for the future, into the future as well. And sustainability is at the heart of the ACT planning strategy. If Canberra simply keeps expanding outwards, this will put increasing pressure on the valued natural resources that surround the city, like our bushland and grasslands, and the ecosystems they support. Continued urban sprawl increases travel distances, carbon emissions and infrastructure costs.
The government looked at opportunities for future greenfield development through the development of the 2018 ACT planning strategy. We considered proximity to existing urban areas, jobs and services, environmental qualities and transport connections. In addition, we looked at how much it would cost for new infrastructure and found that infrastructure servicing costs can be up to three times greater for new greenfield areas than urban infill locations.
Although a focus of the strategy is for 70 per cent of new housing to be within Canberra’s existing urban footprint, the strategy includes actions to plan for future greenfield housing supply. This includes the potential for new residential areas to the west of the city. The government recognises that there will be an ongoing demand for greenfield development in the territory.
Another theme in the ACT planning strategy is that Canberra is a livable city. In practice, this means ensuring Canberrans have access to parks and green spaces. These provide so many benefits, including increased physical activity, mental health benefits and social interaction. Trees and other vegetation combat the urban heat island effect, support stormwater management and improve biodiversity.
In line with this, the recently released “Living infrastructure plan: cooling the city” identifies the need to increase tree canopy cover across the urban area from its current level of 21 per cent to 30 per cent by 2045. The new development at Whitlam will look at innovative approaches to improving living infrastructure. The government is also looking to increase the area available on a block for soft landscaping for all residential zones. There will also be a new requirement to plant one or more trees,
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