2025-02-05
ACT Greens Deputy Leader, Jo Clay, will today call on the ACT Labor Government to pick up the pace on plans to increase medium-density homes - the missing middle - close to services and amenities in established suburbs.
Ms Clay said Canberra has limits imposed on townhouses, row houses, terrace houses, low-rise apartments which means people are missing out on more homes close to services and amenities.
“People enjoy having amenities like shops, work, public transport, schools and green spaces, close to home. It makes it easier to get around, can save costs and time, and supports you to do all the things you need to do in your day,” Ms Clay said.
“We all need to access these community amenities and having it close to home should be the standard, not the luxury. But to do that we need more missing middle homes across Canberra to give people choice and access.
“In the midst of a climate crisis, we simply cannot continue to sprawl out our suburbs. With more missing middle homes, and when done right, we will keep our green spaces, help our environment thrive and keep Canberra cooler over hot summers.”
Since August last year, the ACT Government has been working on a Missing Middle Design Guide and consulting with planning, design and building professionals.
The ACT Government also, in June 2024, procured Purdon Planning to report into the commercial, planning and lease barriers to missing middle development and SGS Economics and Planning to report on the best locations for missing middle homes.
“Missing middle has been something the community has been actively discussing since 2019. Yet the ACT Government has still not publicly answered their questions of how it will be done, when, where and how they can be part of these discussions,” Ms Clay said.
“The information is there. ACT Labor needs to get on with the job. They need to publish these reports, genuinely consult with the community and answer their questions to speed up the process so we can have more homes near the things we enjoy and need.”
The ACT Greens will today call on the ACT Labor Government to publish these reports by Tuesday 24 June.
The motion also calls for all reports to be tabled and public consultation run on the Missing Middle Design Guide prior to government lodging any Major Plan Variation.
The Missing Middle Design Guide and Territory Plan amendments will be released by the end of 2025, under this motion.