A leading residents' group has launched a scathing critique of the ACT government's proposed planning reforms, labelling a bid to increase housing density in Canberra's suburbs as a "poorly conceived and unjustified proposal".
Council Fights to Protect 'High-Quality' Areas
The Inner South Canberra Community Council has formally rejected the draft major plan amendment designed to permit so-called 'missing middle' housing—like townhouses, terraces, and small apartment blocks—across all Canberra suburbs. In a submission to a Legislative Assembly inquiry, the council argued that high-quality housing areas in the capital's inner south must be protected from blanket upzoning.
The council contends that focusing on redeveloping individual blocks is an inefficient strategy unlikely to deliver significant numbers of new, well-located, diverse, and affordable homes. Instead, it has called for the establishment of special character zones to shield certain residential areas, drawing inspiration from similar policies in Auckland, New Zealand.
Key Concerns Over Amenity and Infrastructure
The community council's submission raised several critical issues with the government's approach. It stated the planned reduction of both communal and private open space in new multi-unit developments was "unjustified and entirely undesirable".
Furthermore, the group warned against watering down heritage protections and allowing piecemeal development without first ensuring existing utilities and infrastructure could cope with increased demand. The council fears the proposed changes would fail to maintain the amenity of established neighbourhoods and adequately protect heritage precincts.
"We ask, why wasn't this work done BEFORE the poorly conceived and unjustified proposals to 'upzone' ALL land in RZ1 were put out?" the submission questioned. The council noted that many well-located areas in the inner south are already zoned for higher density (RZ2 or above) or fall within heritage zones.
The Government's Proposal and Timeline
The controversial draft amendment, examined by the Assembly's environment and planning standing committee, seeks to abandon the current maximum two-dwelling limit on standard RZ1 residential blocks. It would instead use site coverage and tree planting rules to govern new developments.
Planning Minister Chris Steel has indicated the reforms, which were part of the government's election mandate, are not expected to be in place until mid-2026. The committee is due to report its findings by April 30, 2026.
While a consultant's report for the government found majority support for increasing missing-middle housing in Canberra, it also noted feedback called for potential refinements to the rules. The Planning Authority has stated it is separately considering rezoning well-located areas around commercial centres from RZ1 to RZ2.
The Inner South Canberra Community Council has advocated for an alternative approach, suggesting that block consolidation with potential minimum block numbers would encourage more efficient, larger-scale redevelopments. This, they argue, could ultimately deliver more homes with better amenities, more open space, and more trees than the current piecemeal proposal.
