The ACT Government is progressing work to deliver more than 1300 homes in north Curtin with Canberrans invited to have their say on the design of the site.
"North Curtin is changing from a horse paddock to a place for people, with new homes that will be close to transport, local services and places of employment," said Minister for Planning Chris Steel.
"This key site is located directly adjacent to Yarra Glen Drive and has the potential to supply up to 1300 townhouses and multi-unit dwellings that are badly needed.
"Before plans are developed for the site, we want to hear from the community about what is important in terms of urban design, landscape design, built form, access and design quality on the site.
"With its location on a major transport corridor, this is a significant opportunity to develop a high quality residential neighbourhood that is sustainable and vibrant with quality public streets and spaces."
Feedback from the community will be used to help develop the draft Planning Conditions for the North Curtin Residential Area which will be used to assess future development applications for this site.
Canberra's population is set to grow to 500,000 by 2030 and the ACT Government is supporting the supply of new homes, particularly focused on areas close to transport and services, as well as investing in the infrastructure to support them.
The north-Curtin consultation will also feed into further consultation on a broader 'Draft Southern Gateway Planning and Design Framework' over the next two years, which will guide future development along Canberra's southern transport corridor from Woden to the City.
"In the future we will be engaging with the community on the principles of growth and development of more housing, public spaces and infrastructure along the light rail 2B corridor including Adelaide Avenue and Yarra Glen Drive," said Minister Steel.
"Unlike buses we know that light rail can unlock significant land-use benefits with opportunities for better connections to public transport, new housing, commercial activity as well as improvements to landscape, streets and public spaces."
This follows the City and Gateway Design Framework established in 2018 in Canberra's North ahead of the completion of light rail stage 1.
"We're already seen the land-use benefits along the Northbourne corridor and we want to work with the community to develop design guidance for the Southern corridor sot that we can maximise the benefits to the community," said Minister Steel.
The Southern Gateway Planning and Design Framework will form part of the Minister's Statement of Planning Priorities to bring transport planning and land-use planning together and supply more housing close to public-transport corridors and improve public places. It will be developed in consultation with the NCA.
The feedback from the North-Curtin engagement will be lodged with the National Capital Authority towards the end of the financial year, before determining final planning controls.
This will build on the principles laid out in the Woden District Strategy released in November 2023.
A referral is also in progress with the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), to assess potential environmental impacts.
Canberrans are encouraged to have their say on the North Curtin Residential Area with the survey closing on 11 June 2024.
