The ACT Brumbies' dream of building a multimillion-dollar apartment block at its inner-south HQ moved one step closer to reality yesterday with the ACT government giving in-principle approval to rezone the land.
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Planning Minister Simon Corbell told the Legislative Assembly he backed the recommendation of multiparty committees to rezone the land at Griffith which was once the Canberra South Bowling and Recreation Club on Austen Street.
But the proposal, to rezone the land from commercial to residential, can be subject to a ''disallowance motion'' by any member of the Assembly before next Thursday, a move that would force the rezoning to a full debate in the chamber.
Mr Corbell's decision does not give the Brumbies the go-ahead to build the controversial scheme for up to 150 flats, which would still have to undergo a development application process.
The club's plans for the area have been controversial since they were first announced in 2009.
Plans to revamp the nearby Griffith Oval were stymied after the area was granted heritage protection in 2010, but Mr Corbell's decision makes the other part of the plan, the residential building, more likely.
Tough conditions imposed on the recommendation of the committee, mandating setbacks, tree protection plans and a requirement for a flood study, mean that the Super Rugby outfit and its commercial backer might be forced to radically alter their proposal.
But the minister told the Assembly he was broadly supportive of more medium-density residential development in the area.
''The site will increase housing in a location that is close to commercial and employment at Manuka and Kingston, Barton, Parkes and Civic and I support that,'' Mr Corbell said.
''Even with recent residential developments in Kingston Foreshore and other multi-unit projects in the inner south over the past few years, population levels in south Canberra are still below that of the early 1960s.
''The population levels need to be clawed back in such a central and accessible location and I support that.''
Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan said the club was pleased with the decision.
''We're obviously pleased that the government has now approved the variation. It's been a long process to date and there is still a lot to be done,'' Mr Fagan said.
''It's a good day and we can now begin to finalise the development application, which is the next step.''
Mr Fagan said the development application was a few weeks away from completion.
''We never said 150 [units], we said up to 150 and we wanted to see a finalised variation before we got into the development application, so now we can turn our attention to that in earnest.''
