The ACT Government’s reform of the Territory’s planning system will include an upgraded IT system to make the planning processes simpler and more accessible to Canberrans.
Minister for Planning and Land Management Mick Gentleman today released a on the reforms underway to improve ACT planning – as we aim to deliver a reform that will support a liveable, sustainable and resilient Canberra for the decades to come.
The update highlights the work the ACT Government has completed over the past year including community and industry consultation by district, the drafting of new legislation and ongoing technical planning.
It also signals some of the work continuing into next year including the new Planning Bill, which will be released for community and industry engagement in early 2022.
The Planning Bill will be the project’s first key reform rolled out for community consultation.
Proposed changes in the draft legislation, designed to improve outcomes across Canberra, include:
- expanding the object of the Act to be inclusive of wellbeing, ecological sustainability, and liveability principles
- recognising the knowledge, traditions and culture of the Ngunnawal people as the traditional custodians of the land
- more efficient and transparent development assessment pathways and decisions
- introducing the category of ‘significant development’ where developments are likely to require greater consideration of design and environmental impacts
- improved transparency due to website upgrades and better public access to information (development applications will remain on the planning website for five years and decisions on development applications will also be published).
“Over the past year the ACT Government has been working hard to shape our new planning system, which will provide greater clarity on the future directions for our city through district planning,” Minister Gentleman said.
“We anticipate that people will be most interested in what’s happening in their district. We’ll provide draft strategies for further consultation in mid-2022 after consultation on the Planning Bill has closed.
“Earlier this year we heard from Canberrans across the territory, from Gungahlin to Tuggeranong, about what they loved most about their district. This input is being considered – along with feedback given over many years of planning and development application processes – in our district strategy development.
“We want designers and developers to think about how each project fits in with the characteristics of the district and adds to a local area, how it is environmentally sustainable, and how it functions for the people that will use it.
“The government is also considering the ways in which people interact with the planning system and considering how improvements to IT systems and detailed guidance material can support the implementation of changes in 2023.
“It’s important to make interacting with the planning system as easy as possible. The community needs to quickly see what’s being built near them and to have their say on these developments.
“I want to hear from as many Canberrans as possible as we shape the future of our city’s landscape. I encourage everyone to sign up for updates on the project’s YourSay page and to continue to provide feedback on this important reform project across 2022.”
