Page 3899 - Week 09 - Thursday, 25 August 2011
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DR BOURKE: Yes, Mr Speaker. Can the minister outline the importance of the master planning process and indicate the current status of projects in place to achieve that goal?
MR CORBELL: As part of the planning strategy, we have identified—and indeed the Assembly has debated and agreed—that there is a need to focus on detailed master planning at a series of locations across the city that will strengthen our town and group centres. The master planning for town and group centres and key areas will focus on the intertown public transport routes as these provide not only greater capacity for greater amenity but more options for living and working in more sustainable locations close to public transport and services.
These master plans are important as they establish a framework for change, informing planning decisions and allowing the government and the community to take the best advantage of existing development, investment and infrastructure. The master plans will seek to address and improve issues of access—pedestrian access, cycle and car access—and a greater mix of compatible uses and investment in public spaces. The plans will articulate where potential development or redevelopment will achieve these improved outcomes for the community.
The government has already prepared plans for the Gungahlin town centre and the Kingston and Dickson group centres.
Master planning for the Tuggeranong town centre, the Erindale group centre and the transport corridor connecting these two centres, Erindale Drive, commenced in July this year and is programmed for completion mid next year. As part of this, there has been extensive consultation to date with school students and youth groups, business and community stakeholders and the Tuggeranong Community Council. At this stage, feedback has been sought on preliminary ideas which will form the basis of the draft master plans. Further investigative work is being undertaken in association with TAMS on Erindale to better resolve existing traffic and parking issues in the centre which are of concern to businesses and residents.
The Kambah centre master plan process has also commenced, and consultation is ongoing.
MS PORTER: A supplementary, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Ms Porter.
MS PORTER: Could the minister tell the Assembly why the intelligent use and development of our major transit corridors is so critical for the future development of the territory?
MR CORBELL: I thank Ms Porter for the question. Canberra’s unique design and structure, with multiple centres centred around town centres and connected by corridors gives us great capacity to improve the sustainability of the city in a dispersed urban environment. By focusing activities around centres and connecting them with frequent, reliable and high quality public transport, we can achieve a much
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