The ACT Greens have today released a major plan to overhaul Canberra’s planning system to ensure it delivers world-class buildings that are climate ready, sustainable, well-designed and constructed, and serve our city’s needs over coming decades.
Among the plan’s highlights, the Greens will
– Set a 10 year pathway to shift Canberra’s planning decisions to align with international best practice on climate-ready and environmentally-sustainable buildings
– Change land sales legislation so that major sites are sold for high-quality proposals, not just to the highest bidder
– Provide a new Skills, Apprenticeships and Research-Industry Partnerships Fund to build the skills and innovation needed to deliver a 10 year pathway to shift to world’s best practice on climate-ready and environmentally-sustainable buildings
– Returning building certification of multi-unit residential developments to Government hands
– Change the Tree Protection Act and planning system to protect our mature trees and make room for trees during development
– Reform the planning system to insist on better quality development
– Better funding the heritage system to shift from reactive to proactive, so it can protect the things we love about Canberra.
The Greens are keen to drive a new standard of development, and want land release to include at least one ‘showcase’ development per year that pilots a big step forward on development quality. One proposal is for a taller development with a 150% green plot ratio, so that green walls, roof gardens and ground level plantings have to be bigger than the size of the block.
Full details of the package available at → greens.org.au/act/planning
As stated by Rebecca Vassarotti, ACT Greens Planning Spokesperson:
“The decisions we make today will have consequences for generations to come. Right now, in the face of a climate crisis, we’re seeing too many poorly designed, poorly constructed, unsustainable, low-quality new buildings going up around town – and Canberrans have had enough.
“The Greens have a plan to put people and the climate before property developers, and to design a new planning system for our city, that delivers well-designed, affordable and sustainable housing, and gives the community a real say in how their neighbourhood develops – now and into the future.”
