ACT government officials predicted there would be a backlash against the use of community facility-zoned land for public housing as far back as 2015, documents released under freedom of information laws have revealed.
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Community outrage at the proposal to build a total of 141 public housing flats and town houses in five suburbs was dismissed as thinly-veiled nimbyism by members of the government earlier this year.
However some opponents of the proposal said their anger stemmed from the use of the land for housing rather than community facilities, as the zoning would suggest.
A heavily-redacted agenda from a meeting on April 23, 2015 showed the Public Housing Renewal Steering Committee agreed to investigate the use of used and vacant community facility zoned land as an alternative land supply option.
"A number of these sites have overlays excluding supportive housing and no site allows general residential use," it read.
"The territory plan currently limits residential development on community facility land to supportive housing.
"Confirmation is being sought as to whether this definition can include public housing."
It noted the use of community facility zoned land would need the Environment and Planning Directorate to support a territory plan variation.
Meeting notes from September 2015 showed the use of six community facility sites for up to 119 dwellings under the fourth tranche business case hinged on a "clarification" of the definition of supportive housing in the territory plan.
The notes said further sites were planned to be explored for the remaining 209 dwellings, pending the outcome of the interpretation of "supportive housing".
"There is a point of confusion around common terminology associated with 'supportive housing' in the territory plan. The Public Housing Renewal Taskforce has sought clarification on this issue through a technical amendment to include 'public housing' in common temrinology."
"Community objection to the use of community facility land for the public housing renal program is likely. It is anticipated that there will be strong opinion regarding the loss of quantity of unleased Territory land designated for community use.
"A proactive and strategic communication and engagement action plan will be required for these sites similar to one prepared for Franklin block 3 section 125."
But by December 2015, Gungahlin residents were up in arms about the Franklin development, despite being given the choice between two community facility-zoned blocks.
The documents show the two sites in Monash were later substituted for the Franklin sites.
More meeting notes from February 21 2017 showed the taskforce and the Economic Development Communications and Engagement team had hammered out a strategy to loop in neighbouring residents and community councils.
It said locals would be told just before a media release was issued.
However Holder residents told the Canberra Times in March many nearby residents did not even receive the brochure in the mail.
"It is intended that development applications will be lodged for these sites from late March onwards," the notes said.
But as of June 26, those development applications are yet to be lodged.
A shortage of territory-owned land has been a problem for the ACT government as it rolls out its public housing renewal program.
Figures provided to the ACT Auditor-General Dr Maxine Cooper showed while 47 per cent of the replacement housing stock was being built on greenfield sites, about 31 per cent was being purchased via expressions of interest.
Ten per cent of replacement homes were being built on community facility zoned land.
Dr Cooper questioned the decision not to put a dollar figure on the value of the community facility zoned land and said the full value of land transferred for public housing had to be considered.
