News - Planning & development

ACTPLA have given conditional approval for a major development in Belconnen to be known as Waterpoint.

Between Emu Bank and the Labor Club in the big 'hole in the ground', the development application was for 22-storeys in the main tower, but on land zoned for 18 storeys. Apart from this aspect though, the proposal is for a stylish and very energy and water efficient building.

Although GCC didn't lodge a submission due to other demands on our time at that stage, I did have discussions with Belconnen Community Council President Stephen Bounds about my concerns that the shadow diagrams in the DA were misleading, and how this could be used as an argument to knock back any relaxation on the maximum height. By my reckoning, at 22 storeys the building would have led to significant afternoon over-shadowing of the Lake.

The BCC submission was given due consideration, and ACTPLA only approved the DA on the basis that it is limited to the 18 storeys the zone allows for. This is a good ruling for the community, who should be able to draw some certainty from zoning provisions.

Congratulations on Stephen and the BCC for a key win for their community!

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