15 August 2014

The opaque Omnibus Draft Territory Plan Variation

15 August 2014 | housebound

You might have missed it. There’s a slew of changes coming under an ‘omnibus’ draft variation to the Territory Plan.

So what? I hear you say. It’s just looking at rezoning four public housing sites:

Stuart Flats, Griffith
Gowrie Court, Narrabundah
Red Hill Flats, Red Hill
Strathgordon Court, Lyons.

And there’s some unspecified vacant land in Narrabundah, Fyshwick, Symonston and Jerrabomberra that’s up for grabs.

But that’s not quite all there is, and you won’t find even that in the (pre)notification on the ACTPLA website. (That list comes the time to talk website.)

So what is is proposed for rezoning? There’s rumours, but nothing concrete. Some are probably scaremongering (school ovals), and some are probably grounded in reality. Can the government claim to have engaged in genuine consultation if it hasn’t even listed all the potentially affected sites?

Come on Mr Gentleman. You’re the new minister for planning. Why not set the bar really, really high and publish the full list?

I know, I know. You’ve said it’s just preconsultation (on the ACTPLA site), and you’ll tell us all eventually. But that’s not what the time to talk website says: there are start and end dates to something titled ‘consultation’, so we should be able to assume you mean it. So come on, why not just tell us now? Tell us on the time to talk website if you find the ACTPLA website too big and scary.

What other sites will be covered by this omnibus DV?

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gooterz8:45 pm 15 Aug 14

Industry! Industry! Industry!

Mick Gentleman MLA5:02 pm 15 Aug 14

Thanks for the article, housebound

The Government is currently updating Time to Talk to reflect all locations affected by the proposed variation.

The ACT Government has been upfront about sites which are likely to be included in the Omnibus Territory Plan variation and Time to Talk is merely one avenue used for community consultation.

In addition to Time to Talk we have also notified on the CSDD and CMTEDD websites. The Government have also called for comment via non online avenues through sending letters to residents in suburbs were zoning changes are proposed, and holding public meetings which have been held with community councils and residents’ associations as well as drop-in information sessions which were advertised in both the Canberra Times and the Chronicle.

There will also be further consultations in September through the Territory Plan variation process – including when a draft is released for public comment, if a variation is referred to the Legislative Standing Committee on Planning, Environment and Territory and Municipal Services.

Hope this clears up your questions,

Mick Gentleman
Minister for Planning

neanderthalsis11:18 am 15 Aug 14

And here I was hoping that the opaque omnibus was some sort of glass bus for Action…

Instead we have proposals for land sales to developers to build shiny new high density slums.

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