The Canberra Liberals will move a motion in the Legislative Assembly today calling on the ACT Labor-Greens government to remove the proposed 120m² size restriction on second dwellings and allow for separately titled dual occupancies on RZ1 blocks over 800m².

Shadow Minister for Planning and Land Management, Peter Cain, has previously criticised the government’s zoning reform as an “unambitious copy” of the Canberra Liberals’ own election commitment.

“The government’s policy on dual occupancies as it currently stands is not fit for purpose,” Mr Cain said.

“There are approximately 40,000 eligible RZ1 blocks, many of which are over 1,000m². This means that a 120m² second dwelling will not appropriately maximise utilisation of these larger blocks.

“Why restrict a property owner on a quarter-acre block to building a 120m² second dwelling under only a unit title? It prevents a wider range of housing sizes being made available to the market,” Mr Cain continued.

“Local building and construction industry stakeholders are concerned that this size limit will act as a deterrent to construct a second dwelling.

“Canberrans seeking to develop dual occupancies should not be restricted by such arbitrary and unproductive measures,” Mr Cain concluded.