More of these will be coming to a suburb near you. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Work to unlock the development of new housing in existing suburbs will accelerate this year with zoning changes planned across Canberra so more low-rise, medium-density homes can be built, Planning Minister Chris Steel told the Legislative Assembly this week.
Mr Steel said these and other reforms would support Labor’s plan to build 30,000 new homes in the ACT by the end of the decade.
He said work was already underway on zoning changes that would go beyond dual occupancies where just a 120 square metre unit-titled second dwelling on a block larger than 800 sqm was permitted.
“It is intended that the new reforms will allow a diverse range of housing to be built, not just dual occupancies, but a range of townhouses/duplexes, row houses and walk-up apartments in existing residential areas, including RZ1 zones,” he said.
The government was also developing a new “missing middle” design guide with a technical advisory group, including architects, to support the new range of medium-density homes that will spring up as a result.
Mr Steel said a Major Plan Amendment was also in the works and he expected these reforms to be made law by the end of the year.
He told the Assembly that other significant zoning reforms would be developed to allow larger-scale medium-density housing in areas close to services, shops and transport.
“Like European cities, this is intended to support human-scale housing that will promote access to public transport, renewal of shopping centres and the public spaces around them,” he said.
This includes so-called shop-top apartments, above retail and commercial tenancies, and units developed on surface car parks or next to local shops.
This next stage of planning reform will be directed to building more housing in the City and Northern Gateway.
Mr Steel said work will also start on a new Southern Gateway Planning and Design Framework to support the future light rail extension to Woden.
“This is about bringing land-use planning and transport planning together to ensure that existing and new residents are well connected with transport, jobs and services,” he said.
The government’s land release program would continue, but Mr Steel said housing would also be increasingly built on leased land.
The ACT Property Council said its research showed these reforms could unlock 60,000 new homes – helping to meet demand, make better use of existing infrastructure, and provide more housing choice for Canberrans at every stage of life.
It said Mr Steel’s commitment to allowing a greater diversity of housing in existing suburbs was a key recommendation of the Property Council’s 2024 report, 60,000 Homes.
Executive Director Ashlee Berry said the planning system wasn’t keeping up with Canberra’s growing population.
“By unlocking more housing with these reforms, more people will have the opportunity to live where they want without being pushed to the fringes,“ she said.
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