Plans for a future residential development bordering the Red Hill Nature Reserve in Deakin have been delivered a setback, while a proposed retirement village on the Federal Golf Club has been given a boost.
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The ACT government has released its recommendations for future planning and development in the Red Hill Nature Reserve and surrounds as part of a draft integrated plan.
The ACT Legislative Assembly called for a Red Hill masterplan in 2017, after receiving two Territory Plan Variation requests for sites in the zone - one concerning Section 66 in Deakin and the other concerning the Federal Golf Club.
Hindmarsh proposed to redevelop the Section 66 site in Deakin with 200 units across the two blocks it owns. A redevelopment on the entire site could yield up to 500 units.
It is currently zoned as a Transport TSZ2 Services Zone. The developer sought to rezone the site to CZ5, allowing for a mixed-use residential and commercial development.
But instead the ACT government's preferred option is for part of the site to be a commercial CZ2 business zone, consistent with surrounding development.
A spokesman from the ACT Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate said, "given the environmental conditions and traffic implications, Section 66 was considered to be more aligned to other development of the Deakin office park".
The other part of the section would be PRZ1-zoned to "protect essential ecological [values] in the longer term". The zoning allows for recreation and leisure and also protects flora and fauna habitat corridors.
Residents have previously expressed concerns about the site's location near a contaminated old tip and the preferred option recognised this was a constraint for development potential on the site.
The ACT government's preferred plans for the Federal Golf Club's proposed retirement village were previously released when part of the draft precinct plan was released in September.
The club wants to build a 125-home retirement village on the site. Plans originally had the village at the northern-end of the site but the ACT government has earmarked future development at the southern-end.
There were concerns about vehicle access, particularly during bushfires for a development on the northern-end.
"A retirement village a low impact use particularly in terms of traffic impacts and support housing choices and ageing in place," the spokesman said.
The draft plan also called for the finalisation and introduction of the Canberra Nature Park - Reserve Management Plan for the Red Hill Nature Reserve.
The final Red Hill integrated plan is scheduled to be prepared and introduced to the Legislative Assembly in early 2020.
Development within the Red Hill Nature Reserve is subject to approval from the National Capital Authority.