The ACT, like the rest of Australia, is battling an extinction crisis.
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Canberra's mature trees are being removed at alarming rates; our faunal emblem, the gang-gang cockatoo is endangered; five new species have been added to the ACT threatened native species list since the last ACT government election in 2020; and our natural areas are at increasing risk of development. The recent publication of the ACT State of the Environment Report clearly demonstrates the unacceptable impact of urban development on our region's nature.
The deteriorating health of our environment coupled with a growing population sparks competing debate over whether to prioritise housing or nature. This debate needs to recognise nuance - we can address the housing crisis and protect nature with clever planning. If we are to prevent environmentally destructive impacts of urban development, we must focus on building more affordable housing within our current city footprint, instead of continuing to spread out exponentially.
Sprawling suburbs and endless development are not the solution to issues of affordable housing for a growing population. They come with higher risk of bushfires, have poor access to public transport, employment and essential services.
This can create increased traffic congestion, air pollution, and higher cost of living.
Furthermore, in the current cost-of-living crisis, the expense of infrastructure and servicing new suburbs will continue to price vulnerable people out of the housing market.
Instead of continuing to grow outwards, we need to invest in higher- and medium-density housing options that take up a smaller footprint per person, prioritising shared spaces - connecting communities while also being energy-efficient and livable. Importantly, as we densify, we need to invest in urban green space for recreation, urban cooling, and wellbeing, but also to enhance biodiversity across the urban landscape.
Canberra has the largest houses of any capital city in the world, while also being Australia's second least-dense city. As we respond to increased population pressure, strengthening our commitment to urban infill will reduce pressure on natural ecosystems and prioritise a connected and convenient city. Melbourne, Portland, Vancouver, Copenhagen and Beijing are examples of liveable cities that have already applied urban growth boundaries. Setting a growth boundary will limit the impact of urban expansion on grasslands and woodlands and other green spaces in the territory.
Biodiversity forms the pillar of all life on Earth, and humans are inherently connected to and rely on nature.
Biodiversity is essential for the processes that support all life on Earth, including humans.
Without a wide range of animals, plants and microorganisms, we cannot have the healthy ecosystems we rely on to provide us with the clean water we drink, air we breathe and the food we eat.
With the fundamental indicator of a functioning and healthy environment being a diversity of plants and animals, this can only be achieved with the formal protection of the habitat of these species across the territory.
Ngununggula/Bluetts Block, bordering the Molonglo River in Canberra's western edge, is an area home to many plants and animals and it is essential to formally protect it in order to provide us with a healthy environment.
It is also important to recognise the intrinsic and inherent value of nature and its right to thrive.
The prospect of investing in urban infill provides an opportunity to deliver more homes for the growing Canberra population without the destruction of the homes of our native animals and plants, found in places such as Ngununggula/Bluetts Block, in the process. If we get this balance right by building within our city limits, we'll be looking after our community and our wildlife.
Living in the Bush Capital, we have a responsibility to protect nature and, in return, it provides us with a healthy environment to support our livelihoods and wellbeing. We can't just keep bulldozing our precious natural environment to build sprawling suburbs that are not serving us or our wildlife. To see no new extinction of our native species, our plants and animals need habitat. Once habitat is gone, it is gone forever.
A liveable and sustainable city means a more compact and connected city with access to nature for community wellbeing and to support biodiversity.
We can and should have both housing and nature.
- Elle Lawless is Conservation Council ACT Region executive director.