climateXchange

There is so much happening at the moment on the urban planning front. The ACT Government has sought community feedback on two draft variations to the Territory Plan, which guides urban development in the ACT. Draft Variation 301 relates to new estates such as Molonglo and Draft Variation 303 relates to development in existing suburban areas.

The date for submissions has passed, but there has been so much interest in the proposed variations that the ACT Government has now extended the deadline for submissions to 17 September. The Planning Minister Andrew Barr has also announced the establishment of a reference group to "help ensure the proposed changes are practical and workable and deliver the desired outcome." See his media release here.

Many of the submissions on Draft Variation 303 expressed concern at the technical nature of the documents provided to the public (nearly 200 page document only available on the web or by viewing it at ACTPLA offices) and called for the Draft Variation to be withdrawn pending more comprehensive public consultation.

Anyway, Draft Variations 301 and 303 will have a major impact on the future development and character of Canberra and so have your say!

You can find Draft Variation 301 and 303, as well as the public submissions, on the ACTPLA website.