Page 3052 - Week 09 - Thursday, 13 October 2022
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MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I cannot possibly speak to why people choose to write letters to the editor instead of or in addition to making complaints or writing to me or one of their local MLAs. But we live in a democratic city with freedom of communication, and if people want to write to the editor, it is absolutely their right to do so.
Woden—development
DR PATERSON: My question is to the Minister for Transport and City Services and Minister for Skills. Minister, how is the ACT government progressing the delivery of a world-class CIT campus and new public transport interchange in Woden?
MR STEEL: I thank Dr Paterson for her question. The ACT government is getting on with delivering a world-class and sustainable CIT campus and new light rail ready transport interchange in the heart of Woden. Last week I made the exciting announcement that work has begun on the new temporary bus interchange in Woden. This will allow for the old interchange to be demolished, to make way for the new CIT campus.
Located on the existing bus layovers east of the Matilda Street car park, the temporary bus interchange will allow for bus operations to continue until construction of the new light rail ready public transport interchange is complete. Once the temporary bus interchange begins construction, we will demolish the old interchange and begin main works on the new CIT campus, which will deliver state-of-the-art simulated learning environments, smart classrooms, commercial kitchens and hands-on training spaces that will help students to achieve their full potential across a range of different training areas, including IT, cyber, hospitality and business.
The new public transport interchange will incorporate an improved and expanded bus interchange, along with the Woden light rail stop, as we get on with the work of delivering light rail to Canberra’s south, which is already reshaping the town centre for the better.
DR PATERSON: Minister, how will these game-changing projects power the regeneration of Woden town centre?
MR STEEL: Light rail, the new Woden transport interchange and the CIT campus are game-changers for Woden. We have heard that from stakeholders in the Woden town centre. We are seeing people moving to Woden already, with many new housing developments, and we are seeing significant private investment taking place in the town centre that has been spurred on as a result of these major public investments in major infrastructure which are reshaping the entire precinct.
We have been consulting with the community as the design progresses, including on features of the campus like the multipurpose hall; the centre of the main CIT building, with 575-metres-squared floor space, catering for a range of different events; two new public parks, including potential intergenerational fitness equipment, based on what we hear from the community; together with more planting and canopy cover so that the town centre is transformed away from what has been characterised as a concrete jungle in the past towards new green spaces that people will use.
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