Page 5302 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 15 November 2011
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The inter-town public transport route is diverted along Hibberson Street and various new developments on Hibberson Street will be required to provide facilities for bus patrons.
Various provisions enabling small-scale activities to operate in Gungahlin Place and enhance the public realm, including extending the length of mandatory awnings over main pedestrian areas and routes in the town centre.
The proposed changes have undergone extensive public consultation. DV300 and the planning report were released jointly for 12 weeks of public consultation from November 2010 until February 2011.
In addition to promoting the draft variation on its website, ACTPLA advertised the draft variation through the normal channels. Planning officers presented to the Gungahlin Community Council on 10 November last year and 9 February this year, and an information stall staffed by planners was set up in Gungahlin Marketplace.
The NCA, Conservator of Flora and Fauna, Heritage Council, Environment Protection Authority and various other ACT government custodians of public or unleased land were also consulted. The comments of these agencies have been included in the report, which is to be tabled together with the approved variation.
The variation is consistent with the territory plan’s statement of strategic directions in terms of environmental, economic and social sustainability principles.
Eight public submissions were received on the draft variation during the public comment period. Support was expressed in various submissions for changes. These related primarily to objectives which related to increased density, diversity of land uses and improved facilities, and various measures to reduce traffic on Hibberson Street; restrictions on driveway access in Hibberson Street and Gungahlin Place; the location of four public car parking sites; the inclusion of Well Station track in an open space network of off-road shared paths and in a bushfire protection buffer for the town centre; and provision of a new linear park through the main office area to the east of the town centre.
Elements of the proposal that attracted mixed comments included traffic, parking and function of the road network; changes to building heights in the business park; development in the public realm; location and scale of active frontage; scale of office and retail development; and building height-envelope and design controls.
Various parts of the draft variation were revised after consideration of all of these issues. The key revisions to the draft are detailed in variation 300 under the heading “revisions to the exhibited draft variation”. In response to a public submission an addendum to the Gungahlin town centre planning report, which provides updated population data for Gungahlin, has also been released. A report on consultation was prepared by the Planning and Land Authority. That report is included with the documents I have tabled.
My decision to approve variation 300 without referring it to the standing committee on planning was taken after considering the extensive community engagement and
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