Page 4769 - Week 13 - Thursday, 28 November 2019
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Title read by Clerk.
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Manager of Government Business, Minister for Advanced Technology and Space Industries, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Minister for Planning and Land Management and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (3.14): I move:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
Canberra is a modern and changing city. A walk around our city, our town centres and along the revitalised Northbourne Avenue demonstrates the government’s and community’s commitment to creating a compact and efficient city. Our skyline is changing as a reflection of the way people are choosing to live. People are preferring a city experience, living close to jobs, transport, restaurants, cafes and high quality urban areas. Townhouse and apartment developments are delivering this to our community. In particular, units plan developments combine residential with commercial uses, offering access to shops, cafes, gyms, health services and other facilities, and active lifestyle choices for many people at their front door.
As of 1 September 2019, 4,100 units plans have been registered in the ACT which incorporate almost 58,500 individual units. Just under 10 per cent of these are registered as commercial units. In addition to an overall increase in the number of units available these units are in larger developments. In the three years to 2018 the number of units plans with more than 40 units has more than doubled compared to the three years to 2015.
More people in Canberra are choosing to buy or live in a unit, whether as a foot in the door to their first home, as an investment property, a long-term chance to live close to work and amenities, or as an option for downsizing. The growth will continue. The ACT planning strategy released last year has us moving toward 70 per cent of new development within our current urban footprint.
Northbourne Avenue’s transformation is ongoing and urban renewal is happening in the city and town centres. In short, units plan development is and will continue to be a major part of our city. We need legislation and regulations to reflect and support this as the city grows.
Our current unit title legislation was developed for single use where all the units in a development were either residential or commercial. While property owners and developers have continued to be protected by this legislation, it has become increasingly difficult to achieve efficient and equitable outcomes. The legislation is now significantly out of step with legislation in other jurisdictions such as New South Wales and Queensland.
The government saw an opportunity to modernise, reform and improve this legislation. Since 2016 we have been progressing work on the reform. This reform forms an important component supporting the government’s delivery of the ACT planning
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