Page 725 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 12 March 1991
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ACTON PENINSULA
Ministerial Statement
MR HUMPHRIES (Minister for Education, Health and the Arts), by leave: The Acton Peninsula is Territory owned land. It is also a designated area under the National Capital Plan. In effect, this means that the planning controls are vested with the National Capital Planning Authority rather than with the Interim Territory Planning Authority. However, the granting and management of all leases rests with the Department of the Environment, Land and Planning. When the Government decided to embark on the public hospitals redevelopment project, the obvious question was raised: "What should we do with the Acton Peninsula?". The NCPA, for its part, decided to use the opportunity presented by the transfer of hospital services off the Acton Peninsula to review longer term options for the whole area.
In January of this year the NCPA announced a joint NCPA-ITPA feasibility study of future uses for the Acton Peninsula and the adjoining West Basin. This study is now under way. The area encompassed by the study extends roughly from the Acton Peninsula ferry terminal to Commonwealth Avenue Bridge. A draft report is expected to be available for public comment by the middle of this year and a final report, reflecting the consultation process, should be released by December of this year.
It is now almost 12 months since I tabled in this Assembly the broad outline of the Government's plans for the Acton Peninsula. These decisions have been discussed with the NCPA and have been included in the brief for the joint planning study. As I have already said, the study will be completed by the end of this year. However, because it is a planning study and the emphasis is on the long-term development of the Acton Peninsula-West Basin area, it would be unrealistic to expect immediate implementation.
With this in mind, the Government has developed two strategies for the Acton Peninsula. The first focuses on interim uses, that is, plans for the next few years. The second strategy relates to those facilities the Government wishes to retain at Acton in the longer term. In both strategies, however, the Government has been determined in its view that a range of appropriate public health facilities should be retained at Acton. Looking first at the interim strategy, the Government has decided to retain the existing buildings, but to put them to different uses.
In essence, we will be creating one of the largest public/private/community health facilities in the country. This will be centred on the complex of buildings formed by the Tower Block, the Podium and the North Block. General purpose accommodation will be provided for public health services, private health practitioners and community health organisations.
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