ACT Greens have called for a review of development rules for Canberra’s residential areas with the aim of ensuring future housing is diverse as well as socially and environmentally sustainable.
Spokeswoman on Housing and Planning for the Greens, MLA Caroline Le Couteur said the current rules acted against smaller, more sustainable and more affordable homes, such as duplexes and terraces.
“This must change if we’re to adequately address housing affordability and planning concerns in the Territory,” Ms Le Couteur said.
“A more diverse range of homes should also mean more room for trees and green spaces, keeping our city sustainable, and helping to mitigate the effects of climate change.”
She said the garden city concept could be retained by limiting the amount of each block that could be built over.
Ms Le Couteur said the party’s submission to the Government’s Housing Choices consultation process called for support for smaller dwellings, ensuring there were adequate trees and green spaces across the city and in the suburbs, and increases in quality, affordable housing distributed fairly across all suburbs.
She said the party also wants real incentives for better planning and design outcomes, including broadening the Territory Plan’s Merit Track and Criteria system to more than just a “tick and flick” for developers on design.
“Careful changes to the planning rules should encourage a diverse mix of housing, including duplexes and terrace houses, not just ‘McMansions’,” the Greens’ submission said.
