How to have YourSay:

From 15 June 2020 to 7 August 2020, we asked people to share their feedback on the development by:

• Logging in and commenting on the feedback tab
• Emailing us at housingactrenewal@act.gov.au
• Talking to us at the two virtual information sessions

A What We Heard Report and Comments Chart capturing what we heard throughout the community engagement process, and an analysis of your comments, feedback and ideas is now avaliable.

We are looking at:

The ACT Government has established an unprecedented program of public housing renewal, with 1,288 houses being renewed over the last five years. Growing and Renewing Public Housing 2019-2024 builds on this success and will guide the growth, renewal and realignment of the portfolio over the next five years.

The plan has targets to grow and renew public housing so that our portfolio better meets current and future tenant needs. It aims to improve tenant experience, provide more public housing, and build a progressive and inclusive city that supports vibrant local communities. We are committed to replacing inefficient and ageing properties and building modern, high-quality and efficient homes that are well-located to essential services, such as schools, shops and public transport.

Having the right mix of dwellings across Canberra means we are better equipped to provide vulnerable members of our community with the housing stability they need.

We want to hear your ideas on the shape and scale of the proposal for a multi unit development at Block 1 Section 80 Greenway. Please provide feedback on the orientation, look, design, and landscaping of the new development.

The new development will include:

• 30 Class C Adaptable properties, comprising of 12 x two-bedroom units, 17 x three-bedroom units, and 1 x four-bedroom unit,
• Adaptable housing ensures that people of all ages and abilities can live within their home, and that the dwelling can be easily adapted to meet changing household needs without requiring costly or substantial modifications,
• Secure basement parking with ample visitor parking towards the front of the site,
• Communal gardens and playground,
• 6 star energy efficiency rating which means that the units will be more comfortable to live in and cheaper for our tenants to run

We will use your views to:

Please find below the draft plan for a multi-unit development at Block 1 Section 80 Greenway (see location tab for a map).

This renewal will deliver new modern homes that will provide tenants with safe, affordable and appropriate housing options.

Thank you for checking out the indicative site plans and sharing your ideas on the development at Block 1 Section 80 Greenway.

Note that this is indicative only, to show the proposed scale of the new development. The appearance will be refined as the design progresses and at this stage does not reflect the final built form.

The proposed development is in close proximity to local shops and services at the South.Point centre, schools and transport options available along Drakeford Drive.

The accessibility of the site and opportunities for tenants to walk to the nearby shops, transport and schools will provide people with the opportunity to get involved and participate in their local community.

Block 1 Section 80 Greenway

Housing ACT is proposing to construct 30 Class C adaptable units on the vacant land at Block 1 Section 80 Greenway, comprising of 12 x two-bedroom units, 17 x three-bedroom units, and 1 x four-bedroom unit.

Adaptable housing ensures that people of all ages and abilities can live within the units and they can be easily adapted to meet changing household needs without requiring costly or substantial modifications. This is part of the ongoing commitment to revitalise the public housing portfolio.

The preliminary designs have been prepared for community consultation and feedback. Each dwelling will have designated basement car parking spaces and private enclosed courtyards or balconies. The site will be accessed by a dual driveway at Ellison Harvie Close.

The proposed development is in excellent proximity to the Tuggeranong Town Centre which includes shops, a library, health services and employment opportunities, as well as schools and public transport options along Drakeford Drive. The accessibility of the site and opportunities for tenants to walk to the nearby shops, schools and transport will provide people with the opportunity to get involved and participate in their local community.

Our commitment

Housing ACT is committed to providing public housing across Canberra, to build communities that are diverse and vibrant that enable people to achieve positive social and economic outcomes.

We are committed to engaging with the community, to build neighbourhoods that are inclusive and welcoming, that offer safe and affordable housing to those who need it most.

What we do and why we do it

Housing ACT provides tenants with safe, affordable and appropriate housing in a sustainable social environment. We provide housing to those Canberrans most in need including people in extreme financial hardship who are unable to find accommodation elsewhere.

Public housing makes up about 7% of all housing in the ACT.

Regional Distribution of Current Social Housing Stock (percentage of public housing to all houses):

• 5% Gungahlin
• 7% Belconnen
• 8% Molonglo Valley
• 7% Tuggeranong
• 10% Weston Creek
• 10% North Canberra
• 6% South Canberra
• 6% Woden

Shape and scale of the Development

The new development will be modern, energy efficient and include a mix of sizes to suit different tenant requirements, including properties that can be adapted in the future, to enable tenants to age in place.

A variety of materials and building features will be used. The scale and form of the new houses will be in scale with the neighbouring buildings.

Who are our tenants?

Public housing tenants include a broad range of people including a high proportion of older people (approximately 26% are aged over 65 years), women (64%), as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and people with disability (63% of our tenants access the disability support pension).

Approximately 75% of our tenants live in single person or single parent households. About 27% of our tenants are children under the age of 15 years.

Some of our tenants stay in public housing for only a short period of time, until they can ‘get back on their feet’. Others stay in public housing longer-term.

The range of our tenants means that the housing we provide needs to be diverse to meet the needs of different people. We provide family homes, single-person apartments, accessible housing and housing that is close to essential services such as medical services and public transport.

Building better homes for our tenants

ACT Housing Strategy: Growing and Renewing Public Housing 2019-24 is a plan to manage the public housing portfolio over the next five years. The plan has targets to grow and renew public housing so that our portfolio meets current and future tenant needs.

It aims to improve tenant experience, provide more public housing and build a progressive and inclusive city that supports vibrant local communities. Having the right mix of dwellings across Canberra means we are better equipped to provide vulnerable members of our community with the housing stability they need.

More than 70% of our housing stock was built before the 1990’s, therefore building new public housing and redeveloping existing public housing allows us to replace older stock with modern, more contemporary designed buildings with improved energy efficiency.

The salt and pepper approach informs decisions around the location of public housing. It serves as a keystone for tenant choice, social inclusion and building stronger communities. Delivering public housing close to essential services helps to ensure that the varied support needs of tenants can be accommodated and it is an important step in supporting some of our community’s most vulnerable people.

All new public housing in the ACT should meet the core principles of good design:

Durable: public housing should be fit for purpose, adaptable and long lasting. It should be flexible to meet the needs of current and future tenants, with a range of abilities and ages.

Well Performing: public housing should promote the well-being of its tenants and enable people to live comfortably. It should be cost-efficient to build, run, maintain and adapt.

Contextual: public housing should contribute to the quality and character of its neighbourhood.

Inclusive: public housing should promote community cohesion, and optimise usability, privacy, social opportunity, equitable access and respect for neighbours’ amenity.

Sustainable: public housing should meet or exceed environmental imperatives and minimise embodied energy. It should also contribute to social sustainability and respond to the needs of the local community and promote social diversity.

Engagement during the COVID-19 crisis

The ACT Housing Strategy: Growing and Renewing Public Housing 2019-2024 has been identified as an essential Government program, not only because of the benefits it delivers to vulnerable Canberrans, but also because of the positive impact it will continue to have on our local economy.

The priority placed on the program means that Housing ACT will continue to progress its redevelopment projects, including the associated community engagement activities. However, in light of Australian Government’s limits on public gatherings to stop the spread of COVID-19, we are making adjustments to the way we engage with the community about our projects. These changes are outlined in the table below.

At Housing ACT, we are committed to engaging with our neighbours to garner their views on our proposals before we submit them to the Planning and Land Authority for assessment. We take all feedback into consideration before any designs are finalised. Through these processes we hope to build relationships within the neighbourhood and balance what is important to neighbours with our commitment to growing and renewing the public housing portfolio.