THE ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT) has refused the development application for the construction of three supportive housing dwellings on a suburban RZ1 block in Griffith. 

This is the third DA proposed by ACT Housing and approved by ACTPLA that the Griffith/Narrabundah Community Association has had refused since December. 

“It is time for ACTPLA to do their job properly and only approve DAs that comply. And ACT Housing should only propose applications that meet the legislated standards to build suitable public housing,” said GNCA president Dr David Denham.

“The public should be concerned by the waste of resources in proposing sub–standard proposals, when funds should be invested on suitable public housing for Canberrans that badly need housing assistance.” 

ACAT said the latest DA did not comply with the Australian Standard for Adaptable Housing. 

“This is very important for supportive housing, and the GNCA encourages quality public housing,” said Dr Denham.

“It identified other deficiencies in the various DAs, including inadequate open space, lack of functionality and unworkable parking. 

“GNCA believes that prospective tenants should not have to live in substandard dwellings and that compliance with the standards should be dealt with in the DA, not brushed aside to be dealt with ‘later‘. 

“How much of ACT taxpayer’s money has been wasted on legal fees in defending development applications that were never compliant? 

He said that, unfortunately, the government wanted to give ACTPLA more power and discretion under the new planning laws.

“Unelected, unrestrained oligarchies should not be encouraged in a democracy,” he said.