Your comments needed - Town Centre Planning Study - closes 16 June! | Planning & development

Your comments needed - Town Centre Planning Study - closes 16 June!

Written by Alan Kerlin Sunday, 25 May 2008 07:53

For some years, the Gungahlin Community Council has been campaigning to get someone in the ACT Government to realise that our Town Centre land is disappearing quickly under endless townhouses. Yet still the once-promised 23,000 jobs are nowhere to be seen...

Finally the government has listened and the first-stage result is now out for your comment, launched by Planning Minister Andrew Barr on 15 May:

You can also listen to this interview with ABC 666 Radio's Genevieve Jacobs, recorded live on Monday 26 May.

The plan below depicts the need to divert "through traffic" around the town centre, and the extension of the commercial core to the east along Hibberson Street.

ACTPLA presented the plan at our May meeting - you can view video of the entire meeting.

It's now over to you, the Gungahlin resident, to lodge your thoughts on the concept plan. Below you will find details on how to submit your thoughts to ACTPLA, as well as links to various articles on this website about the issue, plus to related maps.

The Planning Study has two key documents - the Issues Paper (3.34 MB) and the Concept Report (1.11 MB) .

This map shows how the old Territory Plan looked before our intervention - townhouses right up to a very small town centre. This map shows the new Territory Plan, with a new area zoned for commercial business park virtually doubling the size of the town centre.

To comment on either document, you can complete an online survey or send an email to gungahlinplanningstudy@act.gov.au.

ACT Planning Minister Andrew Barr had this to say at the release of the Study:

I URGE residents and business operators in Gungahlin to comment on the future of their town centre. The initial consultation of the Gungahlin Planning Study seeks public comment on the stud, which examines options for increasing commercial and community land supply in the Gungahlin town centre. It is important for residents and business operators to think about what they want for the future of Gungahlin and that they take this opportunity to tell the ACT Government what they think.

The ACT Government has invested $200,000 in this important study. The study has focused on the long-term commercial and community land supply for Gungahlin Town Centre, the character of future development in the town centre and its interpretation with existing development.

The opportunity to increase employment opportunities is a key outcome sought from the study. Initial comments have suggested that commercial development interest would respond to increased building height options and enhanced access, parking and transport opportunities.

This review and the public comment we are asking for today will be used to develop a land supply strategy, capital works program and possible changes to planning controls for the town centre to guide future development. The ACT Government is committed to delivering improved services to the community of Gungahlin.

We are working with the community to ensure Gungahlin has access to services such as shops, schools, ovals, public spaces and leisure facilities, as well as the potential to attract commercial office development to create jobs in the area.

This issue has been a pivotal one for GCC for some years, and a cornerstone of the campaign for creation of local jobs that has dominated my agenda since election as GCC President. Following are some of the related articles on our website covering this issue, demonstrating just how significant the issue has been for us:

My first article on the issue: http://gcc.asn.au/content/view/168/264/

The big meeting in April 2007, during which Transport Minister John Hargreaves conceded that the creation of Tuggeranong as a "dormitory town" with no employment base was a mistake, and would not be repeated by the current ACT Government:
http://gcc.asn.au/content/view/251/264/
http://gcc.asn.au/content/view/195/264/
http://gcc.asn.au/content/view/250/264/
Meeting notice:
http://gcc.asn.au/content/view/146/258/

Bob McMullan MP commits to stopping departments moving to Brindabella Park instead of Gungahlin:
http://gcc.asn.au/content/view/369/264/

Minister Barr's commitment to Gungahlin in his Statement of Planning Intent:
http://gcc.asn.au/content/view/325/264/

Territory Plan Reference Panel:
http://gcc.asn.au/content/view/340/264/

Planning study funding win:
http://gcc.asn.au/content/view/468/264/
http://gcc.asn.au/content/view/407/264/

Problem with unlimited heights:
http://gcc.asn.au/content/view/484/264/
And the Minister's response:
http://gcc.asn.au/content/view/513/264/

Our thoughts on the concept Plan?

Our general impression is that it is great to see some planners working on this project who are as passionate about "saving the town centre" as we are.
We feel that the more intense commercial use could extend into the areas shown as lighter blue (lower density) to th south, as there would be no residential impacts, and more intense equals more jobs.
The "gateway" treatment of the top end of Hibberson Street will be critical to get right, as only "destination traffic" should proceed into the town centre. "Through traffic" should be diverted around the centre down either of the Valley Way or Anthony Rolfe Drive. Hibberson Street must be a "high friction" thoroughfare (something like Childers Street at ANU) to aid this discouragement of traffic.
A similar gateway will be needed at the Ginn Street western end of the town centre to discourage morning commuters from going through the centre.
There will need to be careful controls via the precinct plan on the development of the C5 zone "Mixed Use" development framing the town centre to prevent more of the Anthony Rolfe Drive kind of 3-storey-townhouse-with-shop effect.
The business park areas should borrow design hints from Brindabella Park, with setbacks rather than built-to-boundary and greenspaces in order to ensure a highly attractive office environment.
The transition from offices to the existing surrounding residential areas will have to be carefully controlled.