Save our Western Edge: Contact the Planning Minister

Call on the Planning Minister to save our Western Edge!

The ACT Planning Minister is responsible for setting an urban growth boundary for Canberra by June of next year. Call on him now, before decisions are made, to keep our Western Edge outside of this boundary so it is protected from future suburban sprawl development and can continue to provide vital services to our community. You can read his latest responses to our questions here to further inform your call/email.

Call the Planning Minister

Calling the Minister’s office during business hours is the best way to ensure your voice gets heard.

(02) 6205 1470

Email the Planning Minister

If you can’t call the Minister’s office during business hours, then send him an email instead.

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Message for Planning Minister Chris Steel

Dear Minister Steel,

As a Canberra resident, I urge you as Planning Minister to honor your government’s promise to establish an urban growth boundary for our city this term. This boundary must exclude the Western Edge Investigation Area to ensure the area is permanently protected from suburban sprawl development, as 3,000+ community members have already called for in our ongoing petition to your government.

The ~9,800 hectares of land comprising Canberra's Western Edge are far too ecologically, culturally, recreationally and agriculturally valuable—as well as bushfire prone—to be carved up for greenfield development. Furthermore, pushing housing developments outwards significantly increases infrastructure costs, lengthens commute times, and runs counter to modern, climate-resilient urban planning that prioritises compact development.

I strongly commend your government's recent "missing middle" planning reforms, as an alternative to such suburban sprawl development. These reforms demonstrate that we can deliver the diverse, affordable housing our city needs without sacrificing the bush that makes our city so special and beloved.

As your government prepares to finalise Canberra’s urban boundary, I call on you to listen to the community and:
1. Keep the Western Edge outside of the to-be-set ACT urban boundary.
2. Remove the Western Edge from the ACT 
Government’s future development plans.
3. Ensure the Western Edge is sufficiently protected and managed for its ecological, cultural, and recreational values.

Canberra is the beautiful Bush Capital of the world because it was intentionally designed to exist in harmony with its natural setting. I urge you to continue this legacy as ACT Planning Minister and save our Western Edge from suburban sprawl development.

I look forward to hearing back from you with the steps your government is taking on these important matters, including when the community will be formally consulted in a timely manner on the above.

Sincerely,

You may edit the message text or send as is. Your name will be added at the end of the message. The ACT Environment Minister and Chief Minister will be copied in.