Planning and development news

Since I started working with GCC almost four years ago, I’ve been lobbying Planning Ministers Simon Corbell then Andrew Barr, and every planning official I can, for an overhaul of the ACT Territory Plan to ensure future subdivisions are designed so that passive solar design is not just possible, but also hard to get wrong, no matter how careless the builder.

Coupled with this, I’ve hammered the need for changes to the Residential Zone Code to ensure setbacks ensure people can build passive solar homes without their solar access being blocked by inappropriate surrounding design.

The ACT Planning and Land Authority (ACTPLA) finally started working on these changes through a series of “Sustainable Futures” workshops. Recently they released the culmination of this work and lobbying: two draft Variations to the Territory Plan that seek to make exactly these changes.

Could this be Canberra's food bowl?

The ACT Government is working on a study into future land use of the corridor from the Majura Valley north of the airport through to Hume.

Long-term, much of this vast stretch of land will be used for industrial development. This recognises that:

• it’s a high airport noise corridor unsuitable for any residential development
• it’s easily serviced by road freight on an upgraded Majura Parkway and Monaro Highway
• it’s alongside the proposed Very Fast Train route
• the existing industrial-designated areas of Fyshwick and Mitchell have been incrementally eroded by decisions allowing retail uses, meaning new areas are needed for serious industrial uses.

But the study also recognises that much of this demand will be years away, and that there should be planning for what can happen with the land in the meantime.

Community information session on the new Gungahlin College

When: Thursday 13 May 2010 (7.00pm)

Where: Amaroo School, Katherine Avenue, Amaroo

The ACT Government invites prospective year 11 students and their parents to an information session to learn more about the new senior secondary college opening in 2011.

Representatives from the Department of Education and Training will be available throughout the evening to discuss the design and facilities at the new school, curriculum, procedures for enrolment and the priority enrolment area.

If you would like further information please telephone 6205 3313.

Planning for the new suburb of Kenny in Gungahlin

You are invited to get involved in planning for the future suburb of Kenny in Gungahlin at a community information session and workshop.

The ACT Planning and Land Authority has engaged consultants to undertake a range of studies that will ultimately help decide what the future suburb looks like.

The studies will look at (among other things): traffic and transport; infrastructure; social and and recreation needs; and contamination and environmental matters . You will be able to see initial planning information and talk to consultants and ACTPLA staff about what issues you think need to be addressed in planning for the new suburb.

When: Tuesday 18 May 2010 (from 6.00pm to 8.00pm)

Where: Harrison Public School, Wimmera Street, Harrison. Multipurpose Meeting Room.

For more information phone Bronwyn Noack on 6205 9657.

Imagine if the ACT Government could start over again with the Canberra Hospital at Garran? Master planned from Day 1, the current problems of car park congestion, and more could all be avoided.

ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope recently unveiled a new plan for the future of Civic but there is a big 'gotcha' for Gungahlin in that plan.

He wants another 12,000 jobs being squeezed into Civic within the next five years!

Are these the same jobs his party has been promising to encourage to move to Gungahlin?

It is time the ACT ALP came clean.

They started the Gungahlin Town Centre Planning Study to plan how jobs could be brought to our town centre but is this just a long-winded charade to keep us quiet out here for a couple of years?

Because every single actual action by the ALP - from land sales to even relocation of their own Land Development Agency staff - has had the opposite effect.

It seems they are actively encouraging thousands more jobs anywhere else BUT Gungahlin.

GCC met with the LDA on 23 March to canvas potential sites within the Gungahlin town centre for the Canberra Muslim Community to build a northside mosque and community centre. This follows on from the CMC’s withdrawal of interest in land for their mosque in Nicholls, which had resulted in significant concerns from Nicholls residents.

President Alan Kerlin expressed concern with the block proposed by the LDA, being to the south of Valley Avenue opposite Hinder Street, which is opposite the proposed club site. These concerns are:

• According to the draft town centre master plan, this site is to be part of the highest density area of the town centre, framing the commercial and business core areas. According to modelling done as part of the master planning, this site could developed to its highest and best use could be several stories of quality residential and commercial development. Therefore the mosque would be a substantial under-utilisation of the land. GCC has been solid in opposing such under-use of town centre land so must maintain this stance irrespective of our ongoing support for the mosque proposal.
• The low-rise mosque development would present context problems for future high density development proposals for surrounding lands, thus spreading the under-use impacts beyond the mosque site itself.

Country living in the City, is this a myth? Ask the Harrison residents.

On purchasing a block of land at Harrison, the residents were happy that at last they found a suburb with a difference, “Country living in the City” truly majestic and a dream come true, but the residents can no longer take comfort of living in a much sought after suburb as the ACT Government is determined to take away the peace and tranquility of the suburb by building 4 lane road “Well Station Drive” in a land locked area between small hill and Carpentaria Street.  The residents can no longer appreciate the beautiful landscape, the quiet surroundings and pure air. Residents can no longer enjoy the morning and evening walks around the suburb, nor can they let loose their pet in the only available area of suburb. Children can no longer fly their kite, learn to ride bike, and play in the evenings.  Instead they will be forced to confine in their house, watching television. This is the future that awaits the Harrison residents, courtesy our ACT Government and ACT Planning Minister.

The residents have brought to the attention of the authorities beginning with ACTPLA during August 2008 that the proposed Well Station drive extension connecting Horse Park drive is not in the best interest of the community. Since then, letters have been written to the ACT Chief Minister, ACT Planning Minister as well as a petition to the ACT Speaker with 40 signatures. Also, in response to the first ever community newsletter on Well Station drive extension about 50 residents, in spite of incorrect email address, have managed to express their concerns in writing to ACTPLA on the proposed Well Station drive extension.  Member for Molonglo Caroline Le Couteur and Member for Ginninderra and Shadow Minister for Transport, Alistair Coe have also visited the site and understood the concerns of the community. A motion was  moved in the assembly on 11th November by the Honourable Members of the Legislative Assembly calling on the ACT Government to re-align the Well Station drive extension further to the east away from the existing housing. Within few hours of passing the motion, the ACT Planning Minister Mr. Andrew Barr, without undertaking any study of the area went public in the Canberra Times dated 13th November, saying that realigning the road is not feasible and showed no sanctity to the Democratic process.

Over the last year and a half residents have put in a tremendous effort to bring to the attention of the ACT Government that there is a Planning disaster in waiting, the efforts by the residents need to be multiplied to keep alive their dream of “Country living in the City” otherwise very soon the ACT Government will commence building the Well Station drive extension which will take shape into 4 lane road with traffic speed of 80Kms/hr and with conservative estimate projecting the road will have traffic volume of 20,000 vehicles per day. Imagine the noise, pollution and dangerous intersection with Horse Park drive on to the lives of the Harrison resident’s? How can a Government turn a blind eye to their own people? Government is by the people and for the people.

by Uday Kaza, Harrison resident

The Gungahlin Community Council has objected to the proposal to auction a block behind The G shopping centre as a ‘club’ site. Irrespective of our concerns, the ACT ALP has pushed ahead with the proposal, and the rezoning application has been approved by ACTPLA. We will continue to combat this bad idea.

GCC has learned that the LDA, under instructions from the ACT ALP Government - will be auctioning a prime block of land in the Gungahlin town centre for another "club".

Some months back, we were consulted by ACTPLA about our thoughts on having more clubs in and around Gungahlin, as apparently several Canberra clubs were looking to move into Gungahlin. We told ACTPLA then that we did not think Gungahlin needed more gambling venues, and instead needed and wanted more ordinary venues like pubs and cinemas.

Despite our advice, the ALP Government is proceeding, with a restricted auction to come for this block of land bordered by Gribble and Hinder Streets, Kate Crace Drive and the Valley Avenue.

ACTPLA advised us that when they surveyed Gungahlin residents about their wishes, they found strong support for more clubs. Our concern is that people may support a "club" like sports clubs, without intending to express support for pokie venues.

We can't help thinking that the lure of more gambling revenue from pokies, and perhaps the possibility of the cashed-up Labor Club securing the site, are what is really driving this ill-advised decision.

View Gungahlin locations in a larger map

The ACT Government's Land Development Agency will be holding a presentation on their proposal to sell a block of land to the Canberra Muslim Community Inc for a place of worship and a community centre. At the LDA's previous public information session, GCC asked the LDA and Roads ACT to conduct a complete study of the traffic and parking issues of the surrounding precinct and the likely impacts that would result from this proposal. This meeting will present the findings of the Traffic and Parking Study commissioned by the LDA.

The block of land in question is between the shops and the schools in Kellaway Avenue Nicholls.

The meeting will be held on Wednesday 18 November between 6.30 and 8.00 pm, at the library in the Gold Creek School on Kelleway Avenue.

Previous GCC items about the proposal:

Previous public information session and background information

Plans for the centre

Media article about plans

Work will commence early next year on widening the car park at Nicholls shops to improve safety and circulation and is expected be to completed within 3 months.

The work will involve widening the existing car park at Nicholls shops by two metres to improve traffic circulation and safety

Drivers are currently having difficulties reversing out of the car bays which can sometimes also contribute to traffic banking up towards Kellaway Avenue.

Roads ACT has also assessed car parking availability at Nicholls shops to determine if any additional spaces were required.

Three separate parking surveys at Nicholls shops have recently been completed. Two of these were undertaken over the course of a week, while the other one was done over three days. The surveys each looked at car parking availability during the day and the evening.

The surveys indicated that parking utilisation varied from between 12% capacity (or 6 out of 50 spaces) to 86% capacity (or 43 out of 50 spaces). Average utilisation was at 36% capacity during lunchtime and 44% during the evening peak.

On the basis of these surveys Roads ACT have determined that there is no evidence to indicate that the car park needs to be expanded at this point in time.

Local traders and residents are being informed via a letter in regard to the work and the outcome of the car parking surveys.

Many people in Gungahlin have been asking about when we'd get a pub (notwithstanding the George Harcourt already at Gold Creek). And we've been asking on your behalf when meeting with ACTPLA and LDA reps.

A development application has now been lodged with ACTPLA for a hotel to go between the police station and McDonalds. But there is a catch with this proposal - it is included with 62 accommodation units.

Hotel elevations (PDF 535 KB)

Hotel landscape plan (PDF 1227 KB)

Our submission to ACTPLA on the DA explains our concerns with this:

The Land Development Agency (LDA) has engaged Brown Consulting to undertake the planning, design and documentation of the Harrison 4 Residential Estate in Gungahlin.

The LDA is seeking feedback on the proposed Harrison 4 development plans via two public information drop-in sessions.

Session 1 Thursday 5 November 2009 (between 3.30pm and 7.00pm)

Session 2 Wednesday 9 December 2009 (between 3.30pm and 7.00pm)

Where: Harrison Primary School (multi purpose room)

See the LDA newsletter for information.

For more information about this project contact:
Peter Lewis of Brown Consulting (ACT)
email at Harrison4@brownconsulting.com.au
phone on 6211 7100
fax on 6211 7199.

The LDA will also give a presentation on development to the GCC meeting on 9 December.