Page 2036 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 5 June 1990
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In reaching its decision now, the Government has paid particular attention to the reasons for the decision given by His Honour Mr Justice Kelly in the Supreme Court and has reviewed the matter in the light of the current data provided in response to the committee's recommendations and the circumstances which exist at the present time.
In its report the standing committee supported a process whereby the Government should accept the surrender of the existing lease of the former Canberra Times site and the issuance of a new lease for the site that would allow its redevelopment predominantly as commercial offices. But the committee recommended the following safeguards: firstly, before approval was given for further Civic redevelopment, the Government should give a firm commitment to introduce parking restrictions in all residential streets within walking distance of Civic, and those restrictions should be in place before the building is occupied.
The second was that, before the Government gave approval for the redevelopment of the former Canberra Times site, data should be provided on the impact of the development on traffic, parking, public transport and pollution levels and that the data be published together with an assessment of likely impacts and be subject to public comment. The third safeguard was that the Government should undertake an assessment of the impact of the sale of country grade leaded petrol and that, if a significant reduction in the level of airborne lead could be achieved, metropolitan standards should be imposed. Also, the committee placed a further condition on its approval of the development, that the Government locate Administration employees in a manner consistent with the principles of the dispersed plan.
The Government has previously addressed the first and third of the committee's safeguards. In January 1990 restrictions on all-day parking in Braddon, Reid and Turner were announced, and the question of leaded petrol is being separately pursued. The Government has taken steps to disperse Government employees from Civic, with staff moving to Tuggeranong and to other locations.
The principal safeguard put forward by the committee required environmental assessment of the proposed redevelopment of the former Canberra Times site. The likely impact of the proposed development on traffic, parking, public transport and pollution levels has been assessed by four different studies - two by the Interim Territory Planning Authority, which has conducted its own Civic centre environment monitoring report; and, secondly, by the ITPA through commissioning Denis Johnston and Associates to assist it make an assessment of the environmental impact of the Canberra Times site redevelopment. There has also been a report done by Purdon Associates on behalf of the lessees, and there is a report by the Department of the Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories pursuant to the Environment Protection (Impact of Proposals) Act 1974. The Government published these findings last month.
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