Today, every member of the Legislative Assembly’s Environment and Planning Committee endorsed the Missing Middle Housing Reforms, recognising the need for bold, comprehensive and universal zoning reform to deliver a more liveable, sustainable and affordable Canberra. These reforms will legalise townhouses, terraces, low rise apartments and other forms of medium density housing throughout Canberra.
We call on the Government to finalise its response and present the final version of the Missing Middle plan amendments as soon as possible. These reforms followed commitments taken by multiple parties to the 2024 election, and were developed through an extensive process of consultation over several years, with excellent engagement from across the community. We can’t afford to delay or water down these changes. The Government must finalise this amendment as quickly as possible.
The challenge is now to ensure that Missing Middle homes become a reality, otherwise Canberra will get the appearance of reform without the homes. A rulebook that says yes in principle but no in practice will not help renters, young families, downsizers or anyone else looking for more housing options.
We agree with the Committee’s observation that “it is not clear why the limits on block consolidation are set, or how they relate to the desired outcome”, and support their recommendation to review these limits. We agree with other stakeholders that these arbitrary limits will hold back high-quality outcomes, and should be removed. We also support Caitlin Tough MLA’s recommendation for reform of solar fence provisions, as informed by the evidence of practitioners and the Australian Institute of Architects.
We also welcome the Committee’s various recommendations towards continuous monitoring, evaluation and improvement of the reforms. The Missing Middle Housing Reforms will be the largest reforms to Canberra’s planning system this century, and we won’t get everything right immediately. We will continue to work with the Government and the community to make sure these reforms actually deliver the city Canberrans deserve.
However, the universality of the Missing Middle Housing Reforms must be upheld. There should not be one rule for Curtin and one for Charnwood. The Government should not provide special treatment to Canberra’s wealthiest suburbs. Local character rules must not be an excuse to prevent people from having a home. Heritage protections should apply narrowly to heritage registered places themselves, not amorphously extended to entire suburbs.
Developments that provide the specified rate of off-street parking should not be subject to the uncertainty of challenges on the basis that they might contribute to problems with off-street parking. We urge caution on the Committee’s recommendations in this space.
As Peter Cain MLA has emphasised, the Government now needs to focus on other practical barriers to Missing Middle feasibility. We strongly support the Committee’s recommendation to review the Lease Variation Charge to ensure that the LVC balances land value capture with encouraging Missing Middle development. We note that the Government has introduced legislation to streamline the lease variation, subdivision and consolidation processes, and we call on all parties to ensure these straightforward process reforms are implemented quickly.
Canberra needs more homes, and more housing choices. The Missing Middle Housing Reforms are critical to delivering more homes for Canberrans, including public, community and affordable housing. They will give more Canberrans the choice to live closer to jobs, shops, schools, parks and public transport, with a significantly lower environmental and emissions impact than greenfields developments. We look forward to seeing these amendments approved.
The above statement is attributable to Howard Maclean, Convenor, Greater Canberra.
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About Greater Canberra
Greater Canberra is a community advocacy group committed to affordable and high-quality housing in Canberra. We believe in a future where housing is abundant, and where everyone can enjoy a more sustainable and liveable city. For more information, see https://greatercanberra.org.