The ISCCC hosted a public forum with Planning Minister Mick Gentleman and Climate Change Minister Shane Rattenbury on 13 February 2018 to learn more about the ACT Government’s Housing Choices and Zero Net Emissions Strategy discussion papers.
The Housing Choices discussion paper explores the kind of housing that people want, so that we can plan and build a Canberra that meets people’s needs.
The new Climate Change Strategy puts Canberrans on a path to reducing the city’s net emissions to zero by 2045.
The crowd of over 80 people at the forum did not question the need to drive down emissions, but asked how the city’s planning and urban design could match this vision. Many people raised concerns about poor build quality, which meant dwellings were not meeting the government’s minimum energy efficiency standards and did not guarantee that buildings would last long into the future.
Insufficient set-backs and large buildings on small blocks did not enable greenery to flourish, which meant an ‘urban heat island effect’ risked creating suburbs several degrees hotter.
Hurry to have your say on Housing Choices, as community consultation is open until Friday 9 March: https://www.yoursay.act.gov.au/housing-choices
Community consultation on the Net Zero Emissions discussion paper is open until 9 April: https://www.yoursay.act.gov.au/zero-emissions
See what other feedback the community gave the Ministers here