History of Stellulata Cohousing

We finally moved into our new home seven years after the three founding residents started discussing the cohousing concept. Building the community facilities in the RZ1 Suburban Zone would not have been possible without the support of the ACT Government. This was not financial support but encouragement, advice and political support. Even so, we might not have started if we had known how long it would take.

The Process

The ACT Government selected our proposal as a Demonstration Housing Project to test whether the model will be suitable for adoption by others in the Canberra community. As a result we were involved in a long approval process and an ongoing evaluation.

• What is Demonstration Housing?

• What was the approval process?

• Will this development fit with the local neighbourhood?

• How can I comment on this proposal?

Increased housing choice is an integral part of the ACT Government's priority of urban renewal that creates viable, safe and attractive communities. The Demonstration Housing Project (commenced in April 2018) aimed to showcase how we can deliver a compact and active city through innovative planning, design and delivery. Stellulata Cohousing was selected as a Demonstration Housing Project.

Demonstration Housing aimed to engage with the community and industry stakeholders on how to best deliver projects that offer best practice environmental performance, including excellence in design quality; carbon neutral buildings; medium density infill; innovative planning and engagement approaches; innovative housing products and typologies; close partnership with industry bodies; and options for public and affordable housing.

See https://www.planning.act.gov.au/planning-projects/demonstration-housing-project

The short articles in our News Section provide some details of our long and winding road since 2018. Here is the short version.

Stellulata Cohousing was approved as a Demonstration Housing Project in May 2019. The proposed design required a small number of changes to the Territory Plan, as three dwellings on the one block and only two parking spaces is not acceptable under the usual rules for Residential Zone 1 (RZ1).

Plan Variation 376 was approved on 10 November 2021 and is now effective through the Ainslie Precinct Code of the Territory Plan. Development Application 202139685 was approved on 20 April 2022. Building Approval was issued on 10 November 2022.

With our DA approved, the variation to our lease finalised, the Building Approval issued, we went through a modified tender process and in September 2023, selected Alliance Building Group - ACT to build our new home.

The usual difficulties of a construction project were addressed effectively by the architect and the construction team and the project was complete in March 2025.