Page 252 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 15 February 2012
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In addition to this work, the government is also finalising its transport for Canberra policy that will provide benefits to the people of Tuggeranong and the ACT more widely. Behind the development of each of our master plans, the planning strategy and transport for Canberra policy, there was not only considerable energy put into engaging with the community but also an enormous amount of research.
With the preparation of each master plan, my directorate commissions background and analysis studies to consider the impacts of change on traffic and infrastructure. Through our own modelling capabilities other issues are considered such as the impact on retail development and community facilities. Through the master planning process we bring together information and analysis to better understand what the urban design and amenity impacts might be on centres and adjacent areas of proposed changes. The master planning of centres such as Erindale and Kambah and the Tuggeranong town centre itself also provides an opportunity for the Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate to incorporate the important work being undertaken in other parts of the government. With each plan prepared, there are reviews of previous exercises so that it can continually improve the process and streamline the delivery of actions from the plans. In terms of the call to coordinate planning in Tuggeranong, I have demonstrated that this is already occurring, and it is occurring very effectively.
I would now like to turn my attention to the issue of Lake Tuggeranong itself. It is the case that Lake Tuggeranong experiences occasions where there are intensive algal growths and the overall water quality in the lake can deteriorate. But, overall, water quality in the lake meets the ambient standards set by the environment protection regulations under the Environment Protection Act, and these are consistent with nationally agreed standards.
Occurrences of algal growth are the result of the relative size of the lake compared to the size of the catchment and the fact that the lake itself is relatively shallow. This means that from time to time the lake can be overloaded by nutrient-rich stormwater flowing in from the residential areas of the Tuggeranong valley. A solution to this historical situation is the construction of wetlands or other controls in areas of the Tuggeranong catchment. Such approaches would alleviate the pressure on the lake more generally.
The government is committed to addressing this issue and is currently undertaking work in relation to developing a stormwater reticulation network, including the construction of wetlands, within the Tuggeranong district. The reticulation of stormwater would benefit the lake by removing some nutrients and by providing a small variation in water level that encourages greater diversity of water cleaning macrophytes.
The government has also been involved with the CSIRO in a study which was undertaken in 2009 that identified 22 potential sites for wetlands and ponds that would address water quality issues in the broader catchment of Lake Tuggeranong. The Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate will continue to prepare mechanical and technical assessments to inform the government on the possibility of the implementation of these wetland or pond sites within the Tuggeranong valley.
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