NEW Planning Minister Mick Gentleman has issued draft variations to the Territory Plan to introduce the term “light rail” into the Plan and provisions for a possible light rail depot in industrial land.

“The proposed changes within Territory Plan No 327 (DV327) outlined today will amend the territory plan ahead of the proposed development of Capital Metro through the city and will further establish a clear assessment path within for future light rail proposals in the ACT,” Mick said.

“This is important preliminary work ahead of the ACT Government taking a final decision on Capital Metro in the coming months.

“This draft variation follows the ACT Government’s proposal to establish the first stage of Capital Metro in the city, transforming the way active transport is delivered,” Minister Gentleman said

Draft Variation (DV327) proposes two forms of changes:

• Changes to seven blocks of land to allow for potential roadworks including a depot in Mitchell
• Amend definitions within the territory plan as follows;
  • adding ‘light rail’ and its definition as a sub-category in the definition for ‘Public transport facility’;
  • amending the definition of ‘railway use’ to exclude ‘light rail’
  • amending the definition of ‘road’ to include ‘light rail tracks’
  • amending the definition of ‘municipal depot’ to cover vehicles and light rail vehicles
  • adding ‘light rail depot’ under Common Terminology for ‘municipal depot’.

Public consultation on DV327 will be undertaken from 29 August to 15 October 2014. For more information and to find out about the proposed changes to zoning visit www.act.gov.au/draftvariations .