Page 4976 - Week 13 - Thursday, 12 November 2009
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The planned ASIO Headquarters is the largest building project in Canberra after the new Parliament House, and would be a highly visible intrusion in the symbolic centre of Canberra. The site itself is half a kilometre in length and seven hectares in area. The monolithic building will be a prominent intrusive element from across the lake at Commonwealth Place, Peace Park and so many other vantage points in this Central National Area and on the hills around.
The large assertive building complex with perimeter security fences and devices would dissipate any attempt to create vibrant streets and active urban spaces. If built the mass and bulk of the project would intrude on the landscape of the most visually sensitive location of Central Canberra.
The project makes a mockery of Griffin’s design for the municipal axis of the great national triangle, intended to be a grand terrace of diverse civic and urban activity. The whole eastern half of Constitution Avenue and fronting Parkes Way will be locked into security and defence offices.
That would be particularly inappropriate. They did make a straightforward proposal to alleviate this:
… limit the height of buildings in this location to 4 storeys (16 m) along the full length of Parkes Way and Constitution Avenue, ie within the established tree canopy of the National Capital.
So, we would retain the look of the bush capital. NCCC then concluded that under no circumstances should the present proposal proceed.
I will now move to a possibly smaller matter but another area within the parliamentary triangle. The parliamentary triangle is not just an area where federal public servants work. It is an area that all of us and many tourists use for recreation. Most of it is a really beautiful area and it is a nice place to go for a walk. Unfortunately it has become a somewhat less nice place to go for a ride. I have recently received some very gory photos from some cyclists who—
Mr Barr: Gory photos?
MS LE COUTEUR: Yes, very gory photos. The new part of the walkway that has been constructed near the Carillon has—
Mr Hanson: I am just picturing Barr in his latex going for a walk.
Mr Barr: Gee, a low blow.
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Mr Hanson, that lowered the tone considerably.
MS LE COUTEUR: Gentlemen, please.
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Barr: I would wager I look better in latex than you, Jeremy.
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