Many new buildings in the ACT and those undergoing major refurbishment will soon be required to provide end-of-trip facilities such as showers, changerooms, lockers, and bicycle parking.

Mick Gentleman, ACT Minister for Planning and Land Management, said active travel is an important part of the ACT Government’s plans to improve the liveability and sustainability of the city.

“From planning to infrastructure, we’re working hard to make it as easy as possible for Canberrans to ride, run, scoot, or walk to or from work, or enjoy some exercise on their lunchbreaks,” Mr Gentleman said.

“This Territory Plan variation, called the End-of-Trip Facilities General Code, has been in the works for some time. The ACT Government has engaged extensively with industry and community stakeholders to make sure the new rules won’t create an unreasonable burden for building developers, owners, or managers.”

Draft Variation 357 – End-of-Trip Facilities General Code was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on 4 August, and will undergo the normal disallowance period for Territory Plan variations before coming into effect later this year.

The End-of-Trip Facilities General Code will replace the existing Bicycle Parking General Code.

The planning system sets out gross floor area limits to manage the amount of development that may occur on a parcel of land, relative to the size of the land, to deliver an appropriate development density in the area, and preserve the desired character of Canberra’s city within a landscape.

“By not including the space dedicated to end-of-trip facilities in the calculation of gross floor area, I think we’ve reached an excellent compromise between industry and employee benefits,” Mr Gentleman said. “This allows end-of-trip facilities to be provided without reducing the floor space for offices, retail spaces, or dwellings in multi-unit complexes.

“The new rules don’t apply to single dwellings, such as stand-alone houses.

“This is another step forward in reducing the barriers to active commuting, and another way the ACT Government is creating a healthy, connected city,” Mr Gentleman said.

To find out more about active travel, or to have your say on the ACT Government’s Active Travel Plan, visit https://yoursayconversations.act.gov.au/active-travel-plan.