Australia's National Local Government Newspaper Online

Around the nation with AMCORD

The Australian Model Code for Residential Development (AMCORD) is a national resource document for integrated residential development containing up-to-date information on the latest urban research material. It is a manual of best practice covering both infill and greenfield development. AMCORD emphasises the importance of adopting an integrated performance based approach to urban development and provides a practical alternative to outdated prescriptive methods.

The Commonwealth is funding States and Territories to employ full time AMCORD Promotion Officers to facilitate the implementation of AMCORD in their respective States/Territories. The following is an up-to-date look at where States and Territories are in the process of implementing AMCORD into their regulatory planning and environmental frameworks for widespread use in Local Government and in the residential industry.

For further information contact Phil Harvey at the National Office of Local Government on (02) 6274 1900.

Western Australia

The Western Australian Community Code Program is being developed as the State version of AMCORD. It proposes a new State Government framework to facilitate residential planning, development and management at the regional and local level in a more efficient, appropriate and responsive way. The Code's principal aims are as follows:

• to place greater emphasis on urban design issues and the relationship between urban design and transport;
• to encourage sustainability through promotion of quality urban design and sustainable urban development practices;
• to provide training for the key client groups in applying Community Code principles and practices.

The Code is currently being refined in consultation with key stakeholder groups, and will be presented to the Western Australian Planning Commission in September 1997 for its approval to trial and refine the Code over a twelve month period.

A priority issue in the program is how to plan for mixed use developments which also provide for employment opportunities in the local and regional vicinity, with a resulting reduction in car dependence and the number of long-distance trips.

For more information contact Chris Waddell, WA Ministry for Planning on (09) 264 7633.

South Australia

An integrated performance-based approach to residential development is an important part of the introduction of AMCORD. Such an approach promotes flexibility in development approaches and encourages more responsive development outcomes. The performance approach represents a shift in perspective and as such will require an information and education strategy to be implemented.

A representative group drawn from local government, the housing industry and the South Australian Department of Housing and Urban Development has been formed to overview the AMCORD action plan and to provide assistance in the implementation process. A State edition of AMCORD and a draft Plan Amendment Report Framework are proposed to be available for consideration by August 1997.

For more information on the implementation of AMCORD in South Australia, please contact Terry Quinn, South Australian Department of Housing and Urban Development on (08) 8303 0763.

Tasmania

Premier of Tasmania, the Hon. Tony Rundle MHA, announced amalgamations of local governments and the development of a 'Model Planning Scheme' for the State in April 1997. The Model Planning Scheme will be designed to encourage streamlined regulatory processes that will fast track approvals and minimise bureaucracy if planning requirements are met; minimise the need for referrals to other agencies; and provide greater certainty in the decision making process for Tasmanian councils.

As a result, the majority of AMCORD implementation has been rescheduled to relate to finalisation of the Model Planning Scheme. Training of local government officials and representatives will be tied to the establishment of new boundaries and administrative arrangements.

The link between AMCORD and these other reforms will substantially improve the ease of using TASCORD at the local government level and further add to the benefits of a performance based, residential development code.

Implementation is now expected to be completed 4-6 months later than originally planned.

This delay has been turned to an advantage by the establishment of a trial period in which TASCORD will be distributed to a range of builders and developers; industry bodies; professional groups; educational institutions and local governments. Feedback is expected by September enabling minor refinements to the Code, and helping to further target promotional programs.

For further information, please contact Brian Risby at the Tasmanian Department of Environment and Land Management on (03) 6233 2410.

Queensland

The Queensland Residential Design Guidelines (QRDG) are currently being printed, and are intended to be launched in late August 1997. Consultation on the content of the QRDG has been thorough and the responses received have been encouraging.

Organisations and individuals from local government, peak industry bodies, practitioner groups, and private enterprise have all contributed. Accordingly, the time taken to finalise the document has increased slightly from original expectations.

A pilot study involving ten local governments throughout the State is presently underway to clarify detailed issues and opportunities. The study will use actual development applications, and compare the QRDG assessment process with the process currently being used by these local governments.

Following the launch in late August, Implementation Officers from AMCORD will run a series of targeted workshops/seminars throughout the State, and make presentations to various conferences. The final product will be a good working document which will promote more efficient and better quality residential development in Queensland.

For more information contact Neil Wilson, Queensland Department of Local Government and Planning on (07) 3235 4042.

Australian Capital Territory

In order to respond to local conditions, the Australian Capital Territory developed its own advisory document, ACTCode, which is based on AMCORD. A review of this document is now well underway and it is expected that a draft of the revised document will be available shortly.

The revised ACTCode document will incorporate all residential guidelines which are in use in the ACT, including the Design and Siting Codes which are currently appendices to the Territory Plan. The revised ACTCode document is the result of a growing body of experience in the use of performance based codes and will cover the entire range of residential development, from subdivision planning to the design of single homes and large multi-unit developments.

As this new document will be more comprehensive than previous residential guidelines and codes in the ACT, there is a need to provide training for both industry practitioners and government regulators on how it can best be used. The training program is currently being developed and will target industry and government.

If you would like any additional information on the ACTCode review please contact Tanya Menadue, ACT Planning and Land Management Group, ACT Department of Urban Services on (02) 6207 2953.

New South Wales

The NSW Department of Urban Affairs and Planning is expecting to release the final version of the NSW Code: a Guide to Performance Codes for Multi-unit Housing in August 1997.

The Department has developed the Development Control Plan (DCP) framework to encourage councils in NSW to prepare consistent performance based codes to improve the design of low to medium rise multi-unit housing. It is based on the national good design manual AMCORD: A National Resource Document for Residential Development.

The DCP framework is an example of a performance based code for multi-unit housing which can be adopted or modified by councils. It can be applied to new and existing urban areas. It also encourages flexible and environmentally responsive planning and contains clear site planning and design objectives backed by simple statements of intent.

To introduce the NSW Code and its application in developing performance-based DCP's the Department will be running a series of 11 full day workshops around the State beginning in August 1997. They will focus on how to produce a performance-based DCP, how performance based DCPs encourage responsible and good design, and how to assess such development.

To attend the workshops contact Kim Leslie, NSW Department of Urban Affairs and Planning on (02) 9391 2206.

The following articles are also included in this edition or go BACK to the main page: