Every Development Application that has been disallowed by the ACAT has been found by ACAT not to be compliant with the relevant planning rules. The 5 public housing proposals in Griffith recently “blocked” by residents’ appeals were for Supportive Housing.
Planning rules written by the ACT Planning and Land Authority and approved by the ACT Assembly require all Supportive Housing developments to comply with Australian Standard 4299 Adaptable Housing, and the Access and Mobility Code. None of the five developments met these standards.
Had the proposed ban on public housing appeals been in force at that time, disabled public tenants would have been compelled to live in houses where they might not be able to turn their wheel chairs around, or use the bathroom, toilet or kitchen.
Most Canberra residents would be happy to see more public housing so long as it was well designed. The current situation is that over 1000 public housing units have been sold off, and the proceeds diverted into funding the tram. It is true that the current ACAT appeal process is slow, legalistic and cumbersome.
The solution is not to ban appeals, but to reform the ACAT’s processes so it is much quicker and less legalistic. Perhaps the easiest solution would be for the Minister for Planning to order his public servants not to approve Development Applications which don’t comply with the planning rules.
The above content was the subject of a Letter to the Editor of the Canberra Times by the President of the GNCA, a copy of which is attached.