The proponents of a supermarket and residential development in Dickson have indicated they will seek an internal review of the government's decision to knock back the proposal.
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Senior planning executives have suggested substantive changes would need to be made to the plans following the comprehensive rejection of the proposal in May.
Environment and Planning Directorate deputy director-general Ben Ponton said the decision by the Coles Group Property Developments and their joint-venture partner Doma Group to use the internal review option, rather than an appeal to a tribunal or entirely new application, was not surprising.
"The applicant could ask for [the directorate] to reconsider that in its original form, or they could make some changes in response to the reasons," he said.
"Normally you would get changes – otherwise there's a risk you would get the same decision as before.
"If it was minor tweaks needed, it wouldn't have been refused, it would have been conditionally approved."
Opponents of the plans for the Dickson Group Centre – rejected by the ACT Planning and Land Authority on May 20 – expressed "dismay" about a lack of consultation after learning on Tuesday the applicants had been granted an extension of time to lodge a reconsideration application, via a letter from Planning Minister Mick Gentleman responding to the North Canberra Community Council.
Dickson Residents Group convener Jane Goffman said residents "always seem to be regarded by the development industry as the enemy" and were not kept informed. She hoped the proponents had decided to make some major changes, but worried the reconsideration process would involve only shifts around the edges. she said.
She called for Mr Gentleman to force the application to go through the impact track, which requires an environmental impact study. Mr Gentleman said in his August 11 letter a reconsideration application could be dealt with only in the same track – in this case the merit track – as the original application.
Mr Ponton said those who made a submission about the original development application would be informed by government once the reconsideration application, due by October 31, was lodged, and there would be a further 15 days for submissions then.
Doma Group development general manager Gavin Edgar said the joint venturers were working with the relevant ACT authorities, including ACTPLA and TAMS, in response to the matters raised in the Notice of Decision from May.
Mr Edgar did not comment on questions about the scale of any changes which would be made, or whether there would be any consultation with local residents and business owners before the reconsideration application was lodged.
He also did not respond to a question about whether the joint venture had employed new architects, as Ms Goffman understood had occurred.
Ms Goffman encouraged residents to attend the North Canberra Community Council meeting on Tuesday where the issues would be discussed and planning officials will speak on the process.
