The process - Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate

Total Fire Ban

ACT Emergency Services Commissioner Georgeina Whelan has declared a Total Fire Ban for the whole of the ACT under Section 114 of the Emergencies Act 2004 for the duration of Thursday 23 January 2020.

State of Alert: rural and remote areas in south and west of the ACT

A State of Alert is in place for rural and remote areas in the south and the west of the ACT. Information on what this means, what you need to do, support available and government service changes can be found on the Emergency Services Agency website.

The Demonstration Housing Project is being run in two streams:

With a site – proponents who have a housing concept and a site.
Without a site – proponents who have a housing concept and do not have a site. The Territory is assisting proponents to identifying suitable Territory-owned land, which will be sold at market value to successful proponents.

The application process

Flowchart demonstrating application process as described in the list below

Stage 1: Expression of Interest
Evaluation: Successful Stage 1 projects announced and invited to Stage 2
Stage 2: Request for Proposal (with sites) and Request for Tender (without sites)
Evaluation: Successful Stage 2 projects announced and invited to participate in the Demonstration Housing project

Stage 1 - Expression of Interest

An Expression of Interest (EOI) opened in April 2018 and closed May 2018.

The EOI assessed the market interest, capability and experience of suitably qualified and experienced applicants to provide proposals for Demonstration Housing projects which met some or all of the project objectives specified by the Legislative Assembly. Applicants included architects, designers, planners, developers, community and social housing providers, builders, community organisations and individuals.

The EOI received 27 proposals, of which 10 ‘with a site’ and 7 ‘without a site’ progressed to the next stage of the process.

Stage 2 - Request for Proposal/Tender

With sites: The Stage 2 Request for Proposal (RFP) opened in September 2018 and closed January 2019. The RFP asked for further detail and refinement of the proponent’s concept and plans, including a landscape plan and solar plan.

Without sites: Anticipated to open in late 2019/early 2020.

The process for successful projects

Flowchart demonstrating application process as described in the list below

Proponents to present their project to the National Capital Design Review Panel
Proponents to undertake community engagement
Development Application and site specific Territory Plan Variation lodged and assessed in accordance with statutory processes
Delivery of Demonstration Housing projects

National Capital Design Review Panel and Community Engagement

All successful proponents must present at the National Capital Design Review Panel and undertake community engagement prior to lodging their development application.

Territory Plan Variation

As the Demonstration Housing project seeks to deliver innovative and best practice housing design and typologies not currently available in Canberra, most proponents will be seeking exemptions of one or more Territory Plan planning controls. This may include reduction in car parking; allowing more dwellings than currently permissible under the zone; and setback reductions. Proponents must justify the sustainable, social, design or other benefits that these exemptions will provide.

The government will lodge a site specific Territory Plan Variation (TPV) for each proponent. The TPV must go through the normal legislative process as set out in the Planning and Development Act 2009, including government agency circulation and community consultation, and its approval cannot be guaranteed.

More information

Email the Demonstration Housing Project team at DemonstrationHousing@act.gov.au.