The Belconnen Community Council is urging ACT MLAs to oppose a proposal to rezone community land in the Belconnen Town Centre, arguing it would reduce land needed for future community facilities before key planning studies are completed.
The council says rezoning the former Arscott House site, proposed by the University of Canberra, would reduce community-zoned land in the town centre by 8 per cent despite government studies identifying growing demand for community and social infrastructure.
Council chair Lachlan Butler said planning decisions should not be made before the ACT Government completes outstanding work, including a feasibility study into a future Belconnen Town Centre primary school and broader district planning.
The council is calling on members of the Legislative Assembly’s Standing Committee on Environment and Planning to scrutinise the proposal, arguing community zoning provides stronger long-term protection than the planning authority’s proposed requirement for community facilities as part of any future redevelopment.
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