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[2015] ACAT 57
ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal
2015-08-24
Original judgment source is linked above.
parking in our town and group centres must be aimed at supporting businesses and be limited to shorter stays of up to three hours. In suburban residential areas, developments must provide sufficient parking to keep the amenity of residential areas. However, less parking will be needed in town and group centres and along rapid inter-town transit ways where there is good access to public transport.
...will pursue opportunities for more efficient use of parking assets across the week and different times of day (for example supporting retail during the day, restaurants at night and recreational activities on the weekend)[42]
...Ultimately it is up to the prospective residents to satisfy themselves that their housing provides the on-site parking they require.[43]
In applying an Act or statutory instrument, distance is to be measured in a straight line on a horizontal plane.
81. The Tribunal notes that the Margrie Lane car park is currently being reconfigured and extended north towards Anthony Rolfe Avenue with an increase in capacity of approximately 74 car spaces. Northrop Consulting Engineers has advised that none of the additional car parking associated with the adjacent commercial development is relying on the Margrie Lane car park. Northrop has reported that extension of the car park will include pram ramps on Anthony Rolfe Avenue and that there will be footpaths on the north verge of Anthony Rolfe Avenue. Northrop also noted "restaurant peak demand will be outside of the peak shop demand thus assisting with efficient use of parking"[49].
Issue 4 - Does the proposed development comply with the approved Lease and Development Conditions including the Planning Control Plan and Development Intentions Plan?[50]
The applicant's argument relies on applying rules of statutory interpretation to the words of Appendix II.1 as if it were subordinate legislation. This poses a difficulty in that the Plan has not been drafted as a statutory instrument. It has been drafted by planners. The Plan's introduction states that its structure has been devised to meet a number of objectives which include "to be readily available to the ACT Community" and "to be as simple to use as possible." The rules of statutory interpretation cannot readily be applied to it.
"26. Site specific contentions in the L&Ds are the measures mentioned in L&Ds to meet the objectives of the L&Ds. However these measures are not the only measures which are capable of meeting the objectives in the L&Ds. That is the reason for the applicable development codes to have provisions enabling a development to depart from the L&Ds provided the development meets the intent of the L&Ds."
Issue 5 - Would development approval be consistent with section 119 and section 120 of the Planning Act?
119 Merit track - when development approval must not be given
_(1) Development approval must not be given for a development proposal in the merit track unless the proposal is consistent with - _
(b) if the proposed development relates to land comprised in a rural lease - any land management agreement for the land; and
(c) if the proposed development will affect a registered tree or declared site - the advice of the conservator of flora and fauna in relation to the proposal.
Note 1 An application cannot be approved if it is inconsistent with the territory plan (see s 50) or the National Capital Plan (see Australian Capital Territory (Planning and Land Management) Act 1988 (Cwlth), s 11).
_(2) Also, development approval must not be given for a development proposal in the merit track if approval would be inconsistent with any advice given by an entity to which the application was referred under section 148 (Some development applications to be referred) unless the person deciding the application is satisfied that - _
(ii) any realistic alternative to the proposed development, or relevant aspects of it; and
(b) the decision is consistent with the objects of the territory plan.
_(3) To remove any doubt, if a proposed development will affect a registered tree or declared site - _
(a) the person deciding the development application for the proposed development must not approve the application unless the approval is consistent with the advice of the conservator of flora and fauna in relation to the proposal; and
(b) subsection (2) does not apply in relation to the conservator's advice.
In deciding a development application for a development proposal in the merit track, the decision-maker must consider the following:
(a) the objectives for the zone in which the development is proposed to take place;
(b) the suitability of the land where the development is proposed to take place for a development of the kind proposed;
(c) if an environmental significance opinion is in force for the development proposal - the environmental significance opinion;
Note Environmental significance opinion - see s 138AA. Environmental significance opinions expire 18 months after they are notified (see s 138AD).
(d) each representation received by the authority in relation to the application that has not been withdrawn;
(e) if an entity gave advice on the application in accordance with section 149 (Requirement to give advice in relation to development applications) - the entity's advice;
Note Advice on an application is given in accordance with section 149 if the advice is given by an entity not later than 15 working days (or shorter prescribed period) after the day the application is given to the entity. If the entity gives no response, the entity is taken to have given advice that supported the application (see s 150).
(f) if the proposed development relates to land that is public land - the public land management plan for the land;
(g) the probable impact of the proposed development, including the nature, extent and significance of probable environmental impacts.
s 119 (1)(a) - consistent with the relevant code - as noted above[68], the Tribunal considers that the proposed development is consistent with the Gungahlin Precinct Map and Code, the Commercial Zones Development Code, the Residential Zones Development Code and the Multi Unit Housing Development Code. The proposed development also complies with the requirements of the Parking and Vehicular Access General Code.
s 119 (1)(b) - land management agreement - not applicable.
s 119 (1)(c) - advice of the Conservator of Flora and Fauna - the proposed development will not affect a registered tree or a declared site.
s 119 (2) - advice given by an entity - The Authority sought and obtained entity advice from Emergency Services ACT (ESA), ActewAGL Water Division, ActewAGL Electrical Division and ActewAGL Gas Networks. Emergency Services ACT advised they had no objections to the proposal. The Authority also sought entity advice from the Territory and Municipal Services Directorate (TAMSD), and the Environment Protection Authority (EPA). Neither TAMSD nor the Environment Protection Agency provided advice within the time prescribed in section 149(2) of the Planning Act and it was therefore considered that they each supported the proposal in principle under section 150 of the Planning Act.
s 119 (2)(a) (i) - (applicable guidelines) - there are no applicable guidelines.
s 119 (2)(a) (ii) - (any realistic alternative) - not applicable.
s 119 (2)(b) - (objects of the territory plan) - The object of the Territory Plan is broadly stated in section 48 of the Planning Act as to ensure that, in a manner not inconsistent with the National Capital Plan, "the planning and development of the ACT provide the people of the ACT with an attractive, safe and efficient environment in which to live, work and have their recreation". The Tribunal is satisfied that the proposed development is not inconsistent with this object.
s 120 (a) - (zone objectives) - The subject site is in the CZ5 Mixed Use Zone. The objectives for the CZ5 zone are as follows (with the Tribunal's underlining):
118. ...that compliance with the relevant code should be taken to establish that a proposal is consistent with the zone objectives, except perhaps in some exceptional circumstance. This flows from the statutory framework provided by ss 53(1) and 55(2) of the Act. Section 53 states:
The objectives for a zone set out the policy outcomes intended to be achieved by applying the applicable development tables and code to zone.
A code must be consistent with each objective for the zone to which the code relates.
Codes provide additional planning, design and environmental controls to support zone objectives and assessable use in the development tables.
s 120 (b) - suitability of the land - the Tribunal is satisfied that the land is suitable for the proposed development.
s 120 (c) - representations - the Tribunal has considered the representations received by the respondent in relation to the development application. The issues raised by the applicant before the Tribunal are found in some of these representations. The Tribunal has considered these representations in relation to the requirements in section 119 of the Planning Act, and more generally under section 120, and is not satisfied that they provide a basis for refusing the development application.
s 120 (d) - entity advice - as noted previously, the proposed development is not inconsistent with advice given by an entity to which the application was referred in accordance with the Planning Act.
s 120 (e) - plan of management - not applicable.
s 120 (f) - probable impact - the Tribunal considers that there are no probable environmental impacts from the proposed development.
Tribunal: ...believe that some of the success of this scheme from a larger public point of view might depend upon the appearance of the building and the appearance of the health, size, scale type, whatever of the trees, and there's no reference to that, whereas a plan of landscape prepared by let's say a landscape architect would allay some of my fears.
Dr Jarvis: Can I make an observation. It would be open to the Tribunal having raised the matter and heard Mr Farzan to add into the list of things that are required as ---
Dr Jarvis further drawings to be required as a condition so the tribunal could in the list on page 16 add a requirement to provide a revised landscape plan.
Applicant: So was it you who was required to make the decision as to whether the proposal met the intent of the lease and development conditions on the block?
Mr Buddhadasa: No, with the advice from other - my managers and the (indistinct) .
Applicant: So I understood that I got, via objective, all the documents that were relevant in the case, but I didn't get any documents that discussed the various aspects of the lease and development conditions and how they were assessed?
Mr Buddhadasa: These are normally - we discuss all the form by face to face conversations. That is how it's happening all the time.
Mr Wyatt: I don't assess people's objections, if you like to development, but I do assess the parking code, and my team does assess the objectives and whether the objectives are being met as part of that assessment, and I would acknowledge perhaps administratively that you haven't seen transparent acknowledgement of that probably in the material that has been provided, but certainly that judgment has been applied to the decisions that have been made[75].
The applicant: I haven't seen evidence of that, and Ms Markus said she hadn't been to the site. She acknowledged, and yourself has acknowledged, you haven't read any of the representations against the development, but my understanding is that it is your area of responsibility to have it assessed it against the Parking and Vehicular Access General Code, and as well as the rules in the code there are a reference to assessing it against future lessees' demand on the car parking, and also a reference to assessing the objectives, and I don't see that all three of those things have been done?
Mr Wyatt: Well, we apply judgment collectively when we assess those things. I can accept that administratively you may not see that all documented, but certainly that forms part of the judgment that we're actually making, and I guess I would add to that is that neither Ms Markus nor myself have any approving authority. We provide technical advice to the development assessment teams, hence why we are not then called upon to actually make a judgment on representations or objections from the community.
[4] Dr and Mr Ibbotson's Statement submitted in Rejection of Current proposal for DA 201324439 Part G, Summary page 27
[12] Transcript of Proceedings page 7, lines 39-44
[21] Transcript of Proceedings 3 June 2015 page 13 line 27
[22] Transcript of Proceedings 3 June 2015 page 11 lines 22-25
[23] Transcript of Proceedings 3 June 2015 page 11 lines 41-44
[24] Respondent's Statement of Facts and Contentions at [19]
[25] Transcript of Proceedings 3 June 2015 page 19 line 30
[26] Transcript of Proceedings 3 June 2015 page 13 lines 32-44
[27] Party Joined Statement of Facts and Contentions at [2]
[29] Justice and Community Safety Directorate: ACT Road Hierarchy http://www.justice.act.gov.au/page/view/3063/title/act-road-hierarchy
[30] Fact #17 in the applicant's Statement of Contentions
[31] Transcript of Proceedings 4 June 2015 at page 94, lines 35-37
[32] C83: Visitor parking is accessible to all visitors
[33] C84: Car parking spaces on the site (including garages but excluding basement car parking) achieves all of the following (a) do not dominate site landscaping (b) are consistent with the desired character
[34] Fact 122 in the applicant's Statement of Facts
[35] Transcript of Proceedings 3 June 2015 at page 16 line 8
[36] Transcript of Proceedings 4 June 2015 at page 121 line 15
[37] Transcript of Proceedings 3 June 2015 at page 23 line 2
[41] Transcript of Proceedings 4 June 2015 at page 132 line 20
[48] Transcript of Proceedings page 220 lines 4-5
[49] Parking Study: Block 1 Section 68 Gungahlin ACT May 2015 pages 7 and 9
[50] Approved Lease and Development conditions dated 5 March 2007 are at T- Documents 217 - 240
[51] Transcript of Proceedings 3 June 2015 at page 29 line 1
[52] Contentions 8 and 9 in the applicant's Statement of Contentions
[53] Respondent's Statement of Facts and Contentions at [29], [34]
[55] [1999] ACTAAT 42 [9-10]
[56] [2006] ACTAAT 13, [26]
[64] Respondent's Statement of Facts and Contentions [35]
[65] Respondent's Statement of Facts and Contentions [36]
[66] Ajith Buddhadasa's Witness Statement at [26]
[69] [2011] ACAT 37 [116-123]
[71] Transcript of Proceedings 5 June 2015 page 268
[72] Transcript of Proceedings 5 June 2015 page 191
[73] Transcript of Proceedings 5 June 2016, page 201
[74] Transcript of Proceedings 5 June 2015 page 227, 228,
[75] Transcript of Proceedings 5 June 2015, page 228, lines 12-18, 27-33
[76] At Annexure B to the Party Joined's Statement of Facts and Contentions
[77] At Annexure C to the Party Joined's Statement of Facts and Contentions
IBBOTSON
ACT PLANNING AND LAND AUTHORITY & ANOR
Legislation cited: ACT Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 2008 s 68
Planning and Development Act 2007 ss 46, 50, 53, 55, 113, 115, 119, 120, 162, 407
Cases cited: Amarso v ACTPLA [2012] ACAT 9
AMC Projects v ACTPLA [2006] ACTAAT 13
Cvetanoski v Commissioner for Land and Planning [1999] ACTAAT 42
Scherl & ACT Planning and Land Authority [2011] ACAT 37
List of
Texts/Papers cited: Building an Integrated Transport Network: Parking dated June 2015
Gungahlin Precinct Code
Commercial Zones Development Code
Multi Unit Housing Development Code
Residential Zones Development Code