OBJECTIVE — Maintain air quality

The ACT Greenhouse Strategy 2000 addresses greenhouse gas emission issues. Environmental protection measures, managed through Environment ACT, seek to reduce atmospheric pollution.

Policy response

• The Spatial Plan supports the initiatives of the ACT Greenhouse Strategy 2000 and reduction in air pollution in that it proposes an urban form and structure that:
• minimises car use by reducing total travel distances;
• encourages alternatives travel modes such as walking, cycling and public transport;
• encourages more efficient commercial building stock by providing opportunities for new commercial development to replace older and less energy efficient buildings; and
• encourages decreased residential energy use through higher density housing and more efficient lower density housing.
• Planning policies and regulations will continue to control atmospheric pollutants, including those generated through wood-fired heaters.

Actions

• Release land for the development of energy efficient dwellings within and adjacent to existing town centres and Civic, through urban renewal and increased residential densities.
• Release land for the development of new, more energy efficient commercial buildings, especially in Civic where the largest proportion of older commercial building stock remains.
• Introduce an energy efficiency rating system for commercial building consistent with national standards based on Green Star.
• Progressively increase education incentives and regulations to control air pollution, especially those generated through wood-fired heaters.

Monitoring indicators

• Greenhouse gas emissions per year (transport).
• Number of ACT households connected to gas as percentage of all households.
• Total fuel consumption in the ACT.
• Amount of pollutant particles in air.