High-priority construction projects such as a secure mental health unit and Canberra's light rail network will be fast tracked as the ACT government continues efforts to kick-start the building sector.
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Chief Minister Katy Gallagher will announce legislation designed to cut construction regulation and to increase certainty for key projects with Sustainable Development Minister Simon Corbell on Thursday.
New legislation would reduce delays around major projects and give the government the power to identify special precincts and priority projects of high public benefit.
The government is expected to sell the plan on the back of the Capital Metro project and the need for a secure mental health facility - a long-recognised gap in the ACT.
Mental health advocates, magistrates and lawyers have raised concerns about a string of cases in which people who should have been in secure care were sent to prison.
Critics say the Alexander Maconochie Centre is effectively being used as a stopgap to fill the void in secure mental healthcare. The opposition has criticised the delays in building the facility, which it says was first promised to open in 2011.
Planning for the Capital Metro continues, with the first stage due to begin in 2016. Services would run from Civic to Gungahlin.
If enacted, the government of the day would be required to nominate priority projects at the beginning of the planning process as well as conduct community consultation.
Projects would then face approval by the Legislative Assembly.
Ms Gallagher said the legislation followed the government's announcement of a two-year economic stimulus package and would assist the ACT building industry.
She said job creation would increase with improved business confidence.
''The legislation will enable the government to continue to have open and accountable planning decisions - whilst improving efficiency and reducing time delays for major projects of importance to the territory,'' she said.
A key aim of the legislation is to avoid projects of substantial public benefit from being held up by third-party appeals and existing legislation.
Mr Corbell said the package would see the ACT better weather federal government spending cuts in the territory.
The legislation would allow for variations to the Territory Plan identifying special precinct areas for priority development through ministerial guidelines. Third-party ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal reviews of development applications would be limited.
A ministerial designation of projects of major public importance would also limit judicial review by the ACT Supreme Court.
Following the approval process by the planning authorities, the planning minister would be the final decision maker.
Development applications and environmental impact statements could be considered at the same time, saving months for major proposals.
The government believes the ability of developers to lodge applications before Territory Plan variation is formalised could save months for key projects, but applications would not be decided until after variations come into effect.
