A predominately residential development at McKellar shops has been refused by the ACT Minister for Planning and Land Management Mick Gentleman today.
Mr Gentleman used his ministerial call-in powers to terminate the proposal, which would have comprised of 14 residential units facing Dumas Street, along with a small retail premises.
The two buildings were set to be constructed on a 2,145sqm site at McKellar shops. The residential building was to be a mixture of three and four storeys. Kasparek Architects was the organisation behind the proposed development.
Justifying his decision to deny the proposed development, Mr Gentleman said the government is committed to increasing housing stock within existing suburbs but “it has to be done carefully”.
“Local shops are the heart and soul of their suburbs and while the McKellar shops don’t have as many retail or commercial offerings right now as we’d like, we do not want to limit the precinct’s potential for the future,” he said.
“The reality is that if this development was built and the units sold off to a series of individual owners and managed under a body corporate, it would be very difficult to redevelop or expand the site down the track, let alone attract suitable commercial tenants. This is because of the rezoning that would be required.
“Furthermore, the development application didn’t have enough car parking to accommodate the would-be residents of the proposed buildings, let alone offer users of the local shops somewhere to park.”
Mr Gentleman said a revised design which better responds to McKellar’s needs and optimises the site’s potential would be welcomed.
“As Canberrans know, we have finite space within our existing suburbs. We must use the planning system to maximise the commercial, residential, and recreational gains of every new development in balance with protection of the character, environmental values and amenity of suburbs,” he said.
“After careful consideration of the proposal, the views of the proponent and those of local residents, I am firmly of the belief that this development would not be in the long-term best interests of McKellar.”
Shadow Minister for Planning and Land Management Peter Cain said Mr Gentleman has used his call-in powers for the second time in less than six months, proving the ACT Labor-Greens government “rules by personal discretion”.
“The Minister should work to resolve this DA as soon as possible to provide greater housing choice to Canberrans and so the residents of McKellar can have local access to the services they need,” Mr Cain said.
“As Shadow Minister for Planning and Land Management, I am concerned about the call-in powers the Minister currently holds and how the discretionary powers will be exercised for ‘identified territory priorities’ in the new planning bill.
“It is an extremely disappointing result for both the residents of McKellar, who want local access to services, and for all Canberrans, who need more choice in the midst of a housing crisis.”
According to Mr Cain, the ACT Government knows the levers they have at their disposal to increase the supply of housing and amenities in Canberra, but refuses to use them.
“We know the McKellar shops redevelopment has been a huge question mark hanging over the community for years,” he said.
“This Labor-Greens government will choose to blame anything else rather than support supply.”
Canberra Daily has contacted Kasparek Architects for comment.
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