Dallas Clifford’s eyes fill with tears when he speaks about the “fantastic” community at his apartment block in Canberra’s Inner South.
But he said he is one of many residents whose lives have been upset by the National Capital Authority’s (NCA) draft plans for a Hume Circle Precinct, which the authority wants to define as the area encompassing the Hume Place roundabout on Canberra Avenue in Griffith.
“I’ve had a fall … and in my situation, I’m trying to renovate my bathroom because of needs, but I’ve paid a deposit and I can’t go ahead. I don’t know what’s happening because I don’t know if we’re going to be here or not and for how long,” Mr Clifford said.
“I have insufficient funds to move somewhere else. It would break me. I would have to probably rent.
“The NCA has basically said to us, ‘This is it and we don’t have much option.'”
Dallas Clifford’s home is within a proposed new precinct which is the subject of a proposed amendment to the National Capital Plan. (ABC News: Adam Kennedy)
The main issue residents have had with Hume Circle Precinct Draft Amendment (DA) 102 is its plan to increase building height limits to 15 storeys, which would significantly increase the site’s population, traffic and reliance on local amenities, such as schools.
The NCA said its goal is to increase housing supply and amend the National Capital Plan to make the site more aligned with early visions.
“Hume Circle was proposed as a place of urban density by Walter and Marion Mahoney Griffin in their original design for Canberra. However, the Griffin vision for Hume Circle has not been realised, with land largely developed for low-scale industrial uses,” the NCA said.
Public consultation on the draft amendment to the National Capital Plan has now closed.
‘Block out all sunlight’
The consultation period has so far seen almost 100 submissions, while a petition to the ACT Legislative Assembly, sponsored by Independent MLA Thomas Emerson, has attracted more than 600 signatures.
“We’re talking about making the most densely populated area of the ACT centred on the third most dangerous intersection in Canberra,” Mr Emerson said.
“Where’s the plan to make that work?
“It’s not fair to expect residents to have to do all of this work to come to the table and say, ‘Hey, NCA, can you actually do your job and plan what you’re supposed to be planning with this draft amendment?'”
Independent Senator for the ACT David Pocock says the NCA plans are insufficient. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)
Independent ACT Senator David Pocock said Canberrans needed to be listened to.
“Some of the proposed changes would pretty much block out all sunlight for existing residents,” he said.
“The NCA needs to go back to the drawing board and actually look at the traffic impact, the plan for densification.
“Canberrans generally support densification if it’s done well.”
Most densely populated precinct?
The proposed changes are very close to an existing development site, with ACT Greens leader Shane Rattenbury expressing dismay that the projects appear siloed.
Under the proposed precinct, building height limits would be increased to 15 storeys in a number of areas. (Supplied: The National Capital Authority)
“For many years now the ACT government has been preparing plans for East Lake just across the way, and to suddenly see this proposal come seemingly out of nowhere … points to thoughtlessness,” Mr Rattenbury said.
“The whole East Lake area is set up to be a medium density development, but to plonk something this large so out of context in this area seems really perverse.”
“I’m surprised the ACT government isn’t more involved … It’s clear that they have ceded some planning opportunities to the National Capital Authority,” he said.
The ACT government’s Territory Planning Authority (TPA) said it was “generally supportive” of the proposal but, in a submission, raised a number of concerns.
“The building height and density proposed in DA102 is substantially higher than was considered in the [East Lake Place Plan],” the TPA said.
It said its plans would see a predicted addition of 5,500 dwellings in the area and a further 12,000 residents, while it has estimated the NCA’s plans would boost the dwellings by 10,500 and population by 23,000.
“Based on current and projected populations, this revised residential density will far exceed that in all town centres.”
“It would also mean this area would likely become the most densely populated precinct in the ACT,” the TPA said in its submission.