Will the ACT meet its housing target?

The ACT Government might struggle to meet its target of delivering 24,000 new homes by 2029 under the National Housing Accord, figures published by Master Builders Australia this week suggest.

Although new home building approvals nationwide reached a 14-month high, the ACT was the worst performing region in the country, according to new building approval figures for July.

Total new home building approvals in the ACT were down more than 75 per cent compared to the same time last year, and nearly 66 per cent lower than the previous month. The ACT only had 30 more approvals than its lowest monthly record.

Approvals for new medium and high-density dwellings were down 90 per cent on the same time last year. High-density dwellings are expected to be 70 per cent of new homes in the ACT as part of the Housing Accord target, “so this sharp drop is worrying,” Ziad Zakout, acting CEO of Master Builders ACT, said.

 “This is not a great start for the ACT in the first month of the National Housing Accord. The ACT Government has set a target to deliver more than 24,000 new homes by 2029. July’s figures fall well short of what is needed.”

Mr Zakout blamed the high cost and complexity of getting approvals for medium and high-density dwellings in the ACT. “Slow planning approvals are crippling our ability to hit the ground running on the Housing Accord.”

Other “roadblocks” included the high regulatory burden on builders, high costs of building, ongoing workforce shortages, and lack of government investment in critical infrastructure, Mr Zakout said.

New suburbs in Molonglo Valley

Two new suburbs within the Molonglo Valley will be named after prominent Australians Faith Bandler AC and Sir John Sulman.

Ida Lessing Faith Bandler (1918–2015) was a human rights activist of South Sea Islander and Scottish-Indian heritage. She was one of the leaders of the 1967 referendum campaign for the Commonwealth government to legislate on behalf of Indigenous Australians and to include them in the national census. Her lobbying led to a package of grants, programs, and special funding for Australia’s South Sea Islanders.

Sir John Sulman (1849–1934) was an architect and town planner. He was a supporter of Walter Burley Griffin’s plan for Canberra, and served as chairman of the Federal Capital Advisory Committee, where he influenced the design of Canberra’s Civic Centre. He was appointed Knight Bachelor of the British Empire in 1924 in recognition of his influence and contributions in architecture.

The two new suburbs named Bandler and Sulman, will be part of the Molonglo Valley 3 East development, bringing the number of suburbs in the district to seven, planning minister Chris Steel said.

Bandler will be the first suburb to be developed, east of Whitlam across John Gorton Drive. Its theme will be ‘Australian Social and Cultural Life’, while Sulman’s theme will be ‘Humanities and Social Sciences’. Mr Steel said that the growing population in the Molonglo Valley’s seven suburbs and another (yet to be named) suburb may lead to the reclassification of the Molonglo commercial centre as a Town Centre. This is under consideration by the NCA.

Free public transport

From September 20, public transport will be free as Transport Canberra transitions to the new MyWay+ system, which is expected to take at least six weeks.

The switch involves removing the old MyWay equipment and installing new validators on buses and along the light rail.

While the MyWay+ system is being installed, bus and light rail services will operate on their regular schedules.

However, Canberrans will not need to pay on or tap off, and the current MyWay and NXTBUS real-time systems will be unavailable.

Transport minister Mr Steel said the fare-free period is designed to avoid public confusion and to encourage new users to try public transport.

Canberrans should register their MyWay cards so they can transfer their balance or request refunds when MyWay+ launches in November.

For more information, visit www.transport.act.gov.au.

Independents for Canberra commit to women’s safety

Independents for Canberra candidates are calling for stronger legislation to protect against coercive control and other forms of abuse, supported by training programs across the criminal justice system and community education.

The group also committed to increase dedicated housing options for women and children escaping violence, particularly in south Canberra, and to ensure that all future funds raised through the Safer Families Levy go directly to frontline service providers.

“Last year, family violence offences in the ACT jumped 20 percent, continuing a year-on-year upward trend,” Independents for Canberra said. “Domestic violence in the ACT goes beyond what is reported, partly because coercive control is yet to be criminalised. Critical service providers are underfunded, overworked, and unable to meet the demand for support.”

Watson Health precinct upgrades

The Watson Health Precinct will be upgraded by early 2026, health minister Rachel Stephen-Smith announced.

The upgrades, which have been conditionally approved, will include new facilities for Ted Noffs and Marymead CatholicCare, which care for young people needing alcohol and drug rehabilitation or residential mental health care.

The precinct will also have a 24-bed residential rehabilitation facility for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, designed and run by Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services.
 
Monarch Building Solutions has been appointed as the Head Contractor for the new facilities. The ACT Government has allocated $49 million in the 2023–2024 ACT Budget for these upgrades.