Architects welcome Canberra housing choice discussion paper
We were delighted to welcome the release last Monday of a Housing Choices discussion paper by the Minister for Planning and Land Management, Mick Gentleman.
The Institute is encouraged by the Government’s focus on addressing critical issues within the current planning system.
Members of the ACT Chapter of the Institute have had a growing concern about the ability of current planning policies to fully address urban change, constrain unsustainable urban sprawl and offer a range of alternative housing typologies for Canberra’s diverse population.
Planning policies for established areas in Canberra currently only offer a housing choice between the extremes of high-density apartments in and around the town centres and low-density single houses on single blocks. The houses are either original, often with poor thermal performance and accessibility for aging residents, or new and very large replacements of the original.
The discussion paper raises important issues around housing choices for meeting a broad range of demographic needs and providing more diverse and vital neighbourhoods that result from increases in density.
The Institute is pleased to see these important issues being brought to the forefront of public discussion and will be making a submission to government outlining our support for better housing choices for Canberra.
Consultation is open until Friday 9 March 2018 and you can visit https://www.yoursay.act.gov.au/housing-choices for more information and to provide comment.
