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The ACT government has introduced the Planning Bill 2022 into the legislative assembly, marking an important milestone in its Planning System Review and Reform Project.
Minister for Planning and Land Management Mick Gentleman stated that the legislation is the “cornerstone of the ACT’s new planning system”, which proposes a variety of changes to the structure and function of the territory’s planning system.
The planning system includes more than 300 pieces of industry and community feedback that were shared with the ACT government earlier this year.
“We have been working on an ambitious vision for the ACT’s planning system for some time, which we re-committed to in the Parliamentary and Governing Agreement,” Mr Gentleman said.
“This Bill is the first step in delivering a planning system that will make our city an even better place to live while protecting the environment.”
Furthermore, Mr Gentleman stated that the bill will introduce a new tier within the planning system, being district strategies, as well as a new Territory Plan, which are set to be released for community engagement before the year’s end.
The new Territory Planning Authority entity will be created to replace the existing ACT Planning and Land Authority.
“The nine district strategies will recognise that the needs of residents and businesses differ across the Territory,” Mr Gentleman said.
“In the reformed planning system, they will protect and promote the unique character, aspirations and values of each area in the ACT.”
Mr Gentleman added that the bill “recognises the importance of ecologically sustainable development” while introducing the use of traditional custodian culture and knowledge into planning.
“It adapts the current ministerial call-in power for development applications into a power to declare proposals as Territory Priority Projects. This will increase transparency and accountability,” Mr Gentleman concluded.
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“The focus is on creating a planning system that’s easier to use, more flexible and provides proponents with more certainty, as we respond to the challenges of climate change and population growth.”
Earlier this year, the ACT government announced the delivery of a “comprehensive” housing package to improve the affordability, diversity and supply of housing in Canberra as part of a package of measures in the territory’s budget.
Housing supply was one of the government’s focuses in this year’s budget due to the growing population in the territory, which is set to reach 500,000 by the end of the decade.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr said at the time that the budget will “improve affordability” and supply as population growth in the territory had placed “pressure on the local housing market”.
[RELATED: ACT government outlines housing plans]
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