More than 150 former Mr Fluffy blocks to be auctioned in Canberra in March

The ACT government has released a further 157 former Mr Fluffy blocks to be sold via auction in March.

The bumper schedule means more properties will be auctioned in one month than throughout 2016.

The substantial release will add to the 153 remediated blocks that have already been offered for sale.

The first blocks were released in April 2016, and as of February 3, 129 blocks had sold. The 24 remaining blocks are available over the counter at the valuation price.

The blocks to be auctioned in March range in size from 562 square metres to 2143 square metres and will be sold through partner agents Civium Property Group and Independent Property Group.

Civium Property Group chief executive Doug O’Mara said there was a high demand from families, downsizers and builders.

“The blocks are in Canberra’s established suburbs and there are some large parcels of land available,” Mr O’Mara said.

“It’s a unique offering.”

About 100 of these blocks are positioned in Woden and Weston Creek, with the rest sprinkled throughout the inner north, inner south and Belconnen.

Independent Property Group project marketing director Wayne Harriden said he expected the blocks would generate strong interest.

“These remediated blocks lie in the heart of some of our most established communities where the market is particularly strong,” Mr Harriden said.

Blue ribbon addresses in Griffith, Red Hill, Campbell and Reid are among the properties on offer.

At least 10 former Mr Fluffy blocks have sold for more than $1 million. Three of these were in Griffith and two were in Red Hill.

Large blocks in Campbell, Garran, Hawker and Hughes have also sold for more than $1 million.

Under the Mr Fluffy planning rules, blocks over 700 square metres can be divided in two and used for two houses. The vast majority are more than 700 square metres.

So far 1022 houses across 56 established Canberra suburbs have been identified as Mr Fluffy homes and demolitions will continue over the next few years.

The resale phase includes a first right of refusal process, which allows the owner to return and rebuild on their remediated block.

An ACT Asbestos Response Taskforce spokeswoman said the public sales would help minimise the overall cost of the scheme and the new homes would help reinvigorate communities.

“We ran a cycle of sales events last year, which then led into a Christmas shutdown period,” the spokeswoman said.

“We’ve naturally compounded our inventory. This has allowed us to recommence our sales of the remediated blocks.”

Auctions will take place every week throughout March. The first properties will be auctioned on Tuesday, March 7, when 27 Weston Creek blocks go under the hammer.

For more information on the sales, visit www.act.gov.au/suburbanresidential