Canberrans hoping to make a home in the new suburb of Kenny will be waiting at least two more years to secure a block of land, with environmental investigations to blame.
One of the final suburbs planned for Gungahlin in Canberra's north, Kenny will comprise 1500 homes once complete including 1050 single-dwelling blocks and 450 multi-unit homes.
The ACT government's Indicative Land Release Program for 2022-23 to 2026-27, released ahead of Tuesday's territory budget, outlines plans to release the first 500 residential dwellings in 2024-25.
A further 500 dwellings will be released in the following financial year with the final 500 homes forecast for 2026-27.
The government had previously planned the first release of land in Kenny for the 2022-23 financial year.
An ACT government spokesperson said the delay was due to further investigation into a range of ecological and water matters.
"These investigations are important to support the protection of the recently created Nadjung Mada Nature Reserve adjacent to the future urban area of Kenny," they said.
Announced in 2020, the 160-hectare woodland and grassland protected area was designated to protect native ecosystems and serve as an environmental offset.
The ACT government spokesperson said the mix of dwelling types that will make up the first land release has not yet been decided, as the estate development plan has not been completed.
The next step for the suburb's development is a technical amendment to the Territory Plan, which will be released for public comment later this year.
Once complete the suburb will also include local shops and the $85 million Kenny High School.
Construction of the 800-student school was fast tracked to ensure it would open for the 2023 school year, however the project has been delayed due to rain. The ACT government is currently building road infrastructure to support the new school.
Gungahlin Community Council president Peter Elford said the first release of land in the suburb is highly anticipated.
He said one of most common questions he gets from the community is, "When is land going to be available for sale in Kenny?"
Mr Elford said the council is awaiting the government's estate development plan, which has been "tracking pretty slowly".
The land release program also outlines plans for 500 single-dwelling blocks and 180 multi-unit homes in Jacka, as well as mixed-use land releases in Gungahlin town centre.
More mixed-use development is something the council has aggressively campaigned for over several years.
"We've been trying to change the planning rules to make it more attractive to build developments that actually contribute something back to the town centre other than just more dwellings," Mr Elford said.
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