The ACT government needs to give industry half a year to come to grips with an overhauled outcomes-based planning system, a peak builders' association has said.
Master Builders ACT chief executive Michael Hopkins said the full suite of planning documents needed to be released so people working in the construction and planning industries could prepare for the new system.
"The new district strategies and outcomes-based approach significantly changes the fundamentals of ACT planning system, and it will take several months for industry members to be trained in the new system and to assess the impact on projects currently in the early planning stages," Mr Hopkins said in a statement on Tuesday night.
"The MBA is calling for a minimum six-month transition period from the release of the full set of planning documents and a genuine commitment from government to run community and industry education sessions on the new planning system."
A heavily amended set of new planning laws were passed in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday evening, which followed years of consultation on changes to the territory's planning system.
The passage of the laws - which were introduced to the Assembly in September 2022 - means the government's focus will now shift to the statutory documents that set out how its planning authority will assess development applications.
Planning Minister Mick Gentleman on Tuesday described the planning laws as the "chassis" of the planning system, with the forthcoming territory plan, district strategies and technical specifications to provide the body work.
"This bill today will put the main bones in place for us to do that territory plan and the district strategies, ensuring we can deliver better outcomes for the future: more housing for Canberrans in better circumstances," Mr Gentleman said.
Mr Hopkins said: "The new planning system is a vital tool to address the ACT's housing shortage, so it is important that government manage the transition period in a way which retains and supports the investment currently in the early planning stages."
The Belconnen Community Council said it welcomed the amended planning laws, which it said effectively addressed its primary concerns about community consultation and pre-development application consultation.
"The BCC is disappointed that the reform of governance arrangements was not a core component of the planning reform project from the beginning, but we welcome the amendment requiring an independent review of the governance arrangements within 12 months of the Planning Act's passage," a statement on behalf of the council, issued by its chair Lachlan Butler, said.
The requirement for a governance review was agreed between Labor and the Greens.
The Molonglo Community Forum on Tuesday said the amendments to the planning laws struck the right balance.
"The addition of enhanced environmental protections, improved community consultation and a better focus on housing affordability are welcome changes to the draft bill," the forum said.
"An independent review of the governance arrangements at the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate will also ensure the new planning system is administered appropriately and effectively."
But the forum warned more work was required to get the planning system ready to be fit for purpose.
"The forum will be advocating strongly for design guides which substantially improve the quality of mixed-use development in our district and across the ACT. We will also be seeking changes to the draft Molonglo Valley District Strategy in response to the latest population projections, and election commitments made by our elected MLAs," the forum said.
Draft district strategies were released as part of the government's consultation process on its overhauled planning system.
Mr Gentleman on Tuesday said the final versions of the documents would be released in about a month.
The Canberra Liberals, which proposed no amendments to the planning bill when it was debated in detail on Tuesday, frequently cited community council opposition to the new planning system.
Community councils are government-funded, not-for-profit voluntary bodies which represent the interests of Canberra residents but have no decision-making power.
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.
