It's been billed as the ACT government's biggest shake-up of the planning system since self-government.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
And indeed, there was much discussion to be had in the past week about the once-in-a-generation changes to what can be done on larger blocks in some Canberra suburbs.
The change would apply to almost 43,000 blocks across Canberra.
But this does not, of course, automatically equate to another 43,000 further dwellings throughout the city.
Firstly, as reported last week, the new rules may well drive up the value of such blocks, and thus deter some home owners from making use of the new policy.
Of course, you may be the happy, long-term owner of a fully-paid-off home on a block of more than 800 square metres, with no outstanding debts.
The decision to knock down your house and build two more on the block might look simple, in such a scenario.
But for many, the prospect of building two new homes on a block that could already be worth anywhere upwards of $500,000, may not be appealing, even if it's now allowed.
And then there's the fact many of the RZ1 that qualify for this change in planning rules are on the outer fringes of existing suburbs, away from bus routes and shopping centres, medical services or schools.
Furthermore, many of these apparently eligible blocks can't actually fit a second dwelling due to current orientation, or the layout of tree canopies.
The policy looks more and more unlikely to deliver significant increases to housing supply, at least in the short term.
The reasons behind the planning changes are sound, in terms of increasing density in established suburbs.
Canberra's population now far exceeds anything envisaged in the capital's earliest planning, but in a bid to increase density rather than urban sprawl and continuous greenfill, there must also be provision made for increased amenity in those RZ1 areas.
Even a cursory glance at an aerial map of which areas are affected by the planning changes shows many of them are relatively far from the main urban hubs that make suburbs desirable.
The prospective extra occupants of these blocks will need public transport, schools and shops close by, and parking facilities.
There's also the fact that these suburbs are all, by and large, established areas with established characters.
The new planning codes should be enforced with great care to ensure such suburbs don't lose their appeal with crowded blocks and changed treescapes.
The city's population is still growing, with new generations choosing to stay, and even more arriving here for work or family reasons.
There is no quick solution to expanding the city from within to accommodate everyone, but surely we can learn from the mistakes of other, much older cities.
Planning shake-ups are often good news for some, and cause for concern for others. This one could change the suburbs irrevocably; let's hope the government takes it slowly and gets it right.
The city is now old enough to foresee the problems, and solve them before it's too late.
Send us a letter to the editor
- Letters to the editor should be kept to 250 or fewer words. To the Point letters should not exceed 50 words. Reference to The Canberra Times reports should include a date and page number. Provide a phone number and address (only your suburb will be published). Responsibility for election comment is taken by John-Paul Moloney of 121 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra. Published by Federal Capital Press of Australia Pty Ltd.
