There is a common theme to the many well-crafted and informed submissions by residents trying desperately to influence the proposals to change the city’s planning.
Tag Archives: ACT Planning Directorate
ACT politicians keep believing their own vacuous spin
Reading through submissions for one of the many inquiries conducted by this ACT government, there was one submitted by the Rebecca Vassarotti as Heritage Minister.
Continue reading ACT politicians keep believing their own vacuous spin
Braddon Bowls as a Barometer for Bad Behaviour
The Braddon Bowling Club story is one of many about how this government and its bureaucracy has corrupted its own governance – how they do stuff badly.
Continue reading Braddon Bowls as a Barometer for Bad Behaviour
Canberra Liberals need to try harder on planning
On the afternoon of Tuesday 28th March, Canberra Liberal Peter Cain rose to his feet in the legislative assembly to deliver a brief speech about an aspect of the chief minister’s planning reforms.
Continue reading Canberra Liberals need to try harder on planning
The differences in values widens between the ACT government and residents
There is huge gap in values between those of the residents of this city and those of the ACT’s planning authority. Canberra’s community groups have been writing submissions about their aspirations and urban priorities for more than a decade.
Continue reading The differences in values widens between the ACT government and residents
No one takes responsibility for ACT Housing non-compliant approvals
Given the latest line-up of Housing ACT development applications for sites in Griffith that were thrown out by the appeals tribunal, the question is who has taken responsibility for these defective proposals for social housing.
Continue reading No one takes responsibility for ACT Housing non-compliant approvals
The ACT planning chief has failed the residents of Canberra
When the ACT chief planner was appointed in April 2017, he explained his theoretical approach to planning. In April 2019 I used those statements to set out ten performance indicators and then scored how he was doing.
Continue reading The ACT planning chief has failed the residents of Canberra
Challenging questionable development approvals
There has been a load of rubbish spread around about what happens when residents challenge decisions by the ACT Chief Planner.
Continue reading Challenging questionable development approvals
Governance reform required urgently for Canberra’s urban future
In the last twelve months, many in community councils have had to spend too much time reading through fairly dense planning reform documents.
Continue reading Governance reform required urgently for Canberra’s urban future
ACT Greenslabor sham consultations
Many in the community spend an extraordinary amount of time and energy responding to the flow of developers’ consultations on proposed developments.
ACT Government sidelines climate issues
someone else does climate in the ACT
The most obvious stuff up about the release of the November 1 media release on the Planning Reforms is that what is being proposed does not recognise that planning and development are the most basic keys that the ACT government should be using to deal with urban climate issues.
town cramming in the inner north
proposals to cram more into the suburbs
Inner north Canberra community members have been swamped with major development proposals that, according to the planning directorate, need to be commented on in a very short timeframe. The Bureau of Meteorology could not have forecast this inundation of paperwork.
The Greenslabor planning minister really said that?
The mess that is planning in Canberra
Residents had good reasons to be puzzled by the 16th August decision by the ACT Greenslabor Planning Minister to use his precious ‘call-in’ powers to refuse a development at the McKellar shops. The reasons given caused readers to wonder – did he really say that?
Continue reading The Greenslabor planning minister really said that?
Bewildering world of development applications
the mess that is planning in Canberra
Residents shudder when they contemplate how much of their lives has had to be allocated to dealing with development applications that, according to the government’s own rules, should not have been approved.
Continue reading Bewildering world of development applications
ACT Government approves Kingston block
approved despite it not meeting the rules
The ACT’s government planning system is under review with the first badly organised and inadequate consultation stage completed in mid-June.
The cruelty of ACT Government politicians
There are discussions within the community sector puzzling over the motives of the ACT government’s politicians and bureaucrats when it comes to their managing planning, development and housing. Continue reading The cruelty of ACT Government politicians
The good and bad of Consultation
During a recent Inner South Canberra Community Council meeting, a topic mentioned by several speakers was one of the fundamental problems with the ACT planning system.
woden Valley Community Council issues
ACT Government fails on planning, again
When it comes to infrastructure and planning issues, the Woden Valley Community Council continues to have difficulties having real discussions with this ACT Labor/Greens government.
Developers sidestep Gentleman’s planning fix
The ACT planning system is opaque and inaccessible.
Continue reading Developers sidestep Gentleman’s planning fix
Inner South Canberra District Planning Strategy
Residents take the lead in planning for their suburbs
First, a shout out to the hard-working community council volunteers who bring together views of residents and then present these to the government. The latest has just been published by the Inner South Canberra Community Council (ISCCC).
Continue reading Inner South Canberra District Planning Strategy
Something nasty is stirring in planning reforms
ACT hides its real intentions on planning reforms
This year’s planning reform announcement was accompanied by the usual spin (sorry, media release) and another misleading online document (sorry, progress report).
Continue reading Something nasty is stirring in planning reforms
Christmas, trees and biodiversity
ACT Government does not get biodiversity
Wandering through Civic, there loomed ahead a shape.
Move ACT Racing
Time to duplicate the Urambi Village model
A lot has been said about the folly of the ACT government’s Demonstration Housing Projects. The bureaucratic spin has been frequent and blatant.
Fact checking ACT planning
With the Planning Directorate having lost the debate and all credibility about reforming ACT’s planning systems, its communications sections have been seeding articles to both distract from the real issues or to shift the debate on to safer topics.
ACT Planning Directorate not fit for purpose
The ACT’s Labor/Greens coalition government is well practised at not addressing planning issues.
Continue reading ACT Planning Directorate not fit for purpose
ACT planning directorate past its use-by-date
The ACT Government’s planning directorate has an impenetrable structure that reminds me of the “Star Wars” concept – the Borg Hive – called The Collective.
Continue reading ACT planning directorate past its use-by-date
Dickson Supermarket approved
Dickson development about to happen
A couple of days before Christmas, a call came through from the Coles project manager to the Dickson Residents Group convenor that the new supermarket complex was to go ahead in May/June 2021.
Yes Minister! rules ACT Government
ACT planners review their own rules – not joking!
Canberra residents care for their homes, their streets, their suburbs and wish that the urban environments and facilities were maintained and enhanced for future generations.
ACT Planning has to change!
or better still – sack themsleves
When it comes to the ACT government and planning and development, 2020 was not a year to be celebrated.
ACT Government and Greenery
Canberra’s green infrastructure
Driving west on Belconnen Way, under the Gungahlin Drive Bridge, there is a view that demonstrates how planning and landscape aesthetics are not in the skill set of those who run this city.
ACT Government planning mess
How planning went wrong in MacGregor
In 2010, Dickson residents lodged objections to a unit development and eventually took the developer and the ACT Planning Directorate through the appeals tribunal and won.
Waste Facilities to wreck Fyshwick
ISCCC call to arms!
The Inner South Canberra Community Council has published a “Call To Arms” to highlight what is going on in Fyshwick with developments for major waste-disposal activities.
ACT politician almost gets it right
Here’s praise for an ACT politician. The accolade goes to the Greens’ Caroline Le Couteur for her work in chairing (from 2016) the Legislative Assembly committee on planning and urban renewal and the release of the April report – “The Inquiry into Engagement with the Development Application Process in the ACT”.
ACT Government’s inability to listen
Residents speak but the government interprets
In August 2019, Ben Ponton, the ACT’s chief planner, said: “Your feedback plays a key role through your unique ability to communicate useful observations into issues that may affect your neighbourhood…”
And the reality?
NCDC in context
Often when posting on planning and development in Canberra, someone will comment that things were so much better when the Commonwealth, through the National Capital Development Commission (NCDC) ran the joint.
Northbourne Avenue
A new year and already the look, the aesthetics, and the whole nature of what will be the new Northbourne Ave gateway to the National Capital is up for discussion.
Bad design spreads like a disease
My post last week on the lack of good design and planning that is evident in the more recent parts of Gungahlin definitely caught a lot of people’s attention.
Gungahlin – urgent climate adaptation required
A couple of weeks ago I wrote on the threats to biodiversity caused through inappropriate developments across Canberra.
Continue reading Gungahlin – urgent climate adaptation required
Respect and Responsibility in planning and development
Someone needs to ask the ACT Planning Minister why the planning directorate continues to encourage local residents to form residents’ associations to oppose inappropriate developments.
Continue reading Respect and Responsibility in planning and development
ACT Chief Planner – to be or not to be
Following a couple of pieces in the local press, one would think that the ACT Government’s planning was in turmoil because key people are on the move.
Alternative Facts and the ACT Planning Chief
The ACT will be looking for a real Chief Planner
It was reported today in the Crimes (what we call the Canberra Times) that the ACT Head of the Planning Directorate will not be renewing her contract due to end this April.
Continue reading Alternative Facts and the ACT Planning Chief
ACT Planning Chief to step down
ACT now needs a real Chief Planner
News to hand that the ACT Head of the Planning Directorate will not be renewing her contract due to end this April.