In December 2017 the Standing Committee on Planning and Urban Renewal released its Report into the Draft Variation to the Territory Plan No 344 – Woden Town Centre. The report provided 31 recommendations covering a wide range of issues, including:
- an urban renewal process
- a mechanism to ‘make safe’ buildings
- minimum 3 hours solar access for developments
- a cap on the scale of the Tradies development
- reservation of a site for community facilities
- reconsideration of Arabanoo Park rezoning
- identification of entertainment precincts
- flexibility for a site for the pool
- a walking and cycling network
The WVCC now seeks the views of the community about the recommendations to amend DV344. Please come to our meetings.
We thank the Committee for its work in preparing the Report.
The Report contained the following 31 recommendations:
| Recommendations | |
| 1 | The Committee recommends that subject to the following recommendations Draft Variation 344 be approved. |
| 2
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The Committee recommends that where a draft variation to the Territory Plan proposes to amend a code, the existing sections of the code, the proposed code and an explanatory statement of the differences between the two should be provided to facilitate public understanding of the draft variation. |
| 3
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The Committee recommends that future draft variation documentation and the Territory Plan express minimum and maximum building heights in metres and that if surveyor measurements are to be used than an explanatory note or clear definition is provided as to what the surveyor measurement means. |
| 4
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The Committee recommends that the current draft variation be edited for errors, inconsistent terminology and outdated references to locations in the Woden Town Centre, particularly those identified by submissions to this Inquiry. |
| 5 | The Committee recommends that the ACT Government finalises the development of master plans in a more timely fashion |
| 6
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The Committee recommends that the ACT Government develop a short, simple and clear outline of the intent and purpose of planning documents within the ACT, including master plans, draft variations and precinct codes and how these interact with the Territory Plan, and that this be provided to the public with all future consultation and draft variations. |
| 7
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The Committee recommends that the ACT Government amend the proposed C9 to only allow an additional four storeys where: |
| 8
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The Committee recommends that the ACT Government amend the proposed R16 and C16 to ensure they apply to all development in Woden, not just ‘development adjoining the town square.’ |
| 9
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The Committee recommends that the ACT Government amend proposed R16 to ensure sufficient solar access retention in the Woden Town Square so as to maintain amenity for people using Woden Town Square during winter solstice |
| 10
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The Committee recommends that the ACT Government amend the draft variation to provide explicit overshadowing protection for dwellings in the area covered by the draft variation, to ensure they retain the minimum of three hours of solar access that they were required to have to be approved. |
| 11
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The Committee recommends that the ACT Government amend the draft variation to cap the scale and height of the marker building proposed for Section 3 to the scale and height of the previously-approved DA. |
| 12
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The Committee recommends that the ACT Government deliver a broad-based urban renewal process for Woden Town Centre that includes action on community facilities, recreation facilities, renewal of public areas and attraction of jobs to the Town Centre. |
| 13
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The Committee recommends that ACT Government amend the Territory Plan and/or lease conditions to provide a mechanism to require building owners to ‘make safe’ or, where appropriate, demolish, buildings that have become unsafe. |
| 14
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The Committee recommends that the ACT Government amend the draft variation to reduce the size of, or cancel, the proposed rezoning of land in Arabanoo Park to Community Facilities Zone (CFZ), with planning protections put in place to ensure land is reserved on the Callam Offices site (Section 80) for an equivalent set of community facilities. |
| 15
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The Committee recommends that the ACT Government amend the draft variation so that if any land in Arabanoo Park is rezoned to Community Facilities Zone (CFZ) it is only used for the following uses as outlined in the Territory Plan and any other use listed under the CFZ zone is not deemed appropriate for this site. |
| 16
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The Committee recommends that the ACT Government amend the draft variation to rezone the existing pocket park on Furzer Street (section 181) to Urban Open Space (PRZ1) to ensure it is protected as open space for the long term. |
| 17
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The Committee recommends that the ACT Government amend the draft variation to rezone the ‘Landscape Area’ along Matilda Street (Section 7), as shown in Figure 3 of the draft variation, to Urban Open Space (PRZ1) to ensure it is protected as open space for the long term. |
| 18 | The Committee recommends that the ACT Government improves pedestrian connections and wayfinding between the town centre and Eddison Park. |
| 19
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The Committee recommends that the ACT Government create greater capacity for social, educational, recreational and cultural facilities in Woden, in order to prevent it from becoming a dormitory suburb. |
| 20
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The Committee recommends that the ACT Government develop and fund a long-term plan for community and recreation facilities in Woden Town Centre, incorporating a Community Hub. |
| 21
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The Committee recommends that the ACT Government amend the draft variation to reserve a large, flexible site in Woden suitable for future community, tertiary education or recreation uses such as an indoor sports hall or CIT facility. |
| 22
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The Committee recommends that the ACT Government, as part of the long-term plan for community and recreation facilities referred to in Recommendation 20, consider the AMC Architecture report into community facilities for the Woden Town Centre. |
| 23
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The Committee recommends that the ACT Government amend the draft variation to identify one or more entertainment precincts in Woden Town Centre, suitable for night-time use, that are protected from noise-sensitive land uses. |
| 24
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The Committee recommends that ACT Government ensures that the lessees of the Phillip Pool are kept updated on the ACT Government’s work towards a new ice rink facility for the ACT. |
| 25
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The Committee recommends that the ACT Government works with the lessees of Phillip Pool on alternative wording for proposed R8 that achieves the same or better facilities but provides greater development flexibility, for example allowing the lessees to provide the facilities on other sites within the Woden Town Centre. |
| 26
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The Committee recommends that the ACT Government works with Hindmarsh Development and Scentre Group on alternative wording for proposed R3 to allow a supermarket on Block 13, Section 18 with a floor plate size that is commercially viable and adequately services the residents of the area. |
| 27
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The Committee recommends that the ACT Government amend the draft variation to add ‘produce market’ as an allowable land use for Woden Town Square; the ‘Pedestrian Spine’, as indicated in Figure 3 of the draft variation; the east-west pedestrian link, as indicated in the Woden Town Centre Master Plan 2004; and adjacent blocks. |
| 28
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The Committee recommends that if the ACT Government chooses to pursue the proposal put forward by Junstamp Pty Ltd, they do so through a separate variation process, following completion of broader planning for a Woden Community Hub. |
| 29
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The Committee recommends that the ACT Government amend the draft variation as soon as practicable to recognise the light rail route and possible stops and to protect bus, cycle, walking and Park and Ride connections to light rail; and update these elements through a project specific draft variation as Light Rail Stage 2 proceeds. |
| 30 | The Committee recommends that the ACT Government include the proposed trunk walking and cycling network in the draft variation and associated precinct code |
| 31
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The Committee recommends that the ACT Government amend the draft variation to include the missing walking and cycling connections across Melrose Drive, between Athllon Drive and Hindmarsh Drive. |
[pdf-embedder url=”https://williamsonau.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/LA-Standing-Committee-Report-into-DV344-December-2017.pdf”]