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The Belconnen town centre is set to be overhauled, with a draft variation released to allow for more high-rise residential developments and rezoning to create a new business district on Lathlain Street opposite the Westfield shopping centre. Among the changes touted were allowing up to 27 storeys for residential development on some key blocks in the town centre and rezoning a community facilities block, the site of the now closed ACT Health clinic, on Benjamin Way for business development. The increases in height limits will apply to about 13 areas across the town centre, up to 28 storeys on block 19, section 48, to allow for what would be Canberra's tallest building, Geocon's proposed 27-storey High Society development. But several other sites will have height restrictions lifted to 18 storeys or higher, including 25 storeys on block 37 section 52 on Emu Bank, 23 storeys on the corner of Cameron Avenue and Eastern Valley Way. It would also allow redevelopment of up to 18 storeys on both the current Labor Club site on Chandler Street and Cameron Avenue and the opposite on the corner, as well as a "marker"16 storey development on the corner of Benjamin Way and Belconnen Way. The variation also proposes raising the height limit on block 1, section 88 on College Street from five to six storeys to allow more high density residential developments in that area, near the swathe of existing student accommodation blocks. Planning Minister Mick Gentleman released the draft variation on Wednesday, with parallel changes to the town centre's precinct code, which will make the key changes to planning rules in line with the master plan finished in late 2016. He said the new plan would guide growth in the town centre for the next decade or two, and that on key streets "active frontage" and awnings would be incorporated to create all-weather footpaths for pedestrians. The proposals included rezoning several blocks on sections 21, 23, 185 and 186, which sit between Lathlain Street and Josephson Street, north of the Cohen Street post office, to create a new commercial and business district including open public space. It would also rezone block 30, section 52, along Joynton Smith Drive behind the shopping centre, for commercial or business purposes; and allow for a 1500sqmt supermarket near the intersection of the Eastern Valley Way and Emu Bank. The draft variation would also remove setbacks on the old water police station on block 29, Section 149 Belconnen to allow for the redevelopment of the valuable lake-front site, already zoned for leisure and accommodation. While further changes could take place on Commonwealth-owned land stretching between Chandler Street, over Benjamin Way to Lathlain Street, that would be subject to National Capital Authority clearance before changes could be made. Ginninderra Labor MLA Tara Cheyne backed the proposed changes, which she said would create long term certainty for the town centre for "many years to come". Greens MLA Caroline Le Couteur welcomed the community consultation on the draft variation, which is out for public comment until June 22 this year. Ms Le Couteur, who also chairs the Legislative Assembly's planning committee, also welcomed the government specifically mentioning the new height limits in both storeys and metre measurements, which a previous committee inquiry recommended. But she said the Greens were concerned about the potential rezoning of "irreplaceable" community facilities-zoned land to allow more commercial development in the town centre.

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