Two of Canberra’s natural areas, Bluetts Block and Coombs Peninsula, have been formally taken off the city’s future development map.
Major Plan Amendment 05 (MPA-05) — approved this week — limits unnecessary urban expansion, strengthens river corridors, and protects parks and reserves for biodiversity and community enjoyment, while allowing essential infrastructure projects to proceed elsewhere.
Under this amendment, Bluetts Block and Coombs Peninsula become part of the Molonglo River Reserve. Bluetts Block was identified as a nature reserve earlier this year (answering calls from conservationists), while Coombs Peninsula is rezoned as River Corridor and Urban Open Space, with a reserve overlay to support recreation and active travel. Outdated overlays in Gungahlin Town Centre are removed to allow long-planned development to proceed. Infrastructure sites in Belconnen and Molonglo are confirmed.
“The approval of this Major Plan Amendment means we can safeguard our natural and recreational areas that make Canberra special while also enabling essential infrastructure to support our growing communities,” Chris Steel MLA, planning and sustainable development minister, said.
Public consultation ran from June to August.
“Canberrans care deeply about how their city grows and changes, and community input has helped shape this final amendment,” Mr Steel said. “It gives clarity to residents about how these areas will be used into the future.”
The ACT Greens welcomed the announcement, saying protections only came after years of community campaigning.
Deputy Leader Jo Clay MLA said Labor’s move was “a win for the community”.
“The Greens have been supporting Canberrans in campaigning for this valuable, ecological area to be protected, and finally Labor has done what the community has asked,” Ms Clay said.
However, Ms Clay said that Mr Steel’s decision last year to call in a development on Bluetts Block “deeply disappointed [and] outraged” residents. She argued that the ACT needs broader landscape-scale protections.
“The community is tired of fighting for piecemeal protection for nature. We need full protection for the Western Edge to protect our environment,” she said. “We also need to actively restore and reconstruct long lost native habitat, not protect small patches as a trade-off for development.
“Removing the future urban overlap from Bluetts and Coombs Peninsula is a necessary step to ensure their natural values are fully protected.”
A newly created ACT Chief Landscape Architect — part of the government’s Statement of Planning Priorities — will identify and protect the Territory’s environmental interface.
