Page 453 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 18 February 2015
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Madam Deputy Speaker, urban renewal is vital to the vibrancy and livability of our city and is critical in improving competitiveness, productivity, livability and the economic future of our community. It is about capitalising on our local community’s assets, inspiration and potential to create high quality public spaces that promote people’s health, happiness and wellbeing. Urban renewal is about deliberately shaping the environment to facilitate social interaction and improve our community’s quality of life and it is about shaping our built environment to reflect who we are: a confident, bold and ready city—one that has earned its position amongst the greatest places to live in the world.
And we have the mandate. The Canberra time to talk 2030 consultation results noted shifts in societal preferences: from suburbia to proximity to employment and services; from single purpose zones to mixed use developments; from the old way of doing things to the revitalisation of existing urban areas to both make better use of unproductive land and create a city that truly reflects the needs and demands of city residents and businesses.
Not only are the government meeting our community’s expectation through a renewed focus on urban renewal but also we understand the importance of urban renewal in achieving a range of policy outcomes. Urban renewal will deliver a range of social, environmental and economic benefits. It will continue to drive urban productivity through mixed use development and regional hubs. It will create employment opportunities during both the capital work phase and the operational phase. It will drive tourism activity and boost the tourism economy—and draw people from across Australia and around the world to Canberra. It will drive connections across the city, the country and the world.
Urban renewal will capitalise on existing infrastructure and attract increased investment by creating new markets for new businesses to service new facilities and their occupants and residents. Urban renewal will assist the government in achieving its goals in relation to sustainability and environmental outcomes. People will rely less on their cars to get around, resulting in fewer greenhouse gas emissions. It will assist with modal shift as Canberra moves to a more compact city and comes to rely less and less on cars which, of course, will tie in strongly with capital metro and the transformative nature of this project. Urban renewal can also promote more active forms of transport, which is linked to better health outcomes for the community.
The government is also delivering one the of the largest and most significant urban renewal projects in Australia—city to the lake. City to the lake will allow for an additional 15,000 residents in the city centre, resulting in an uplift in the economy and an increase in Canberra’s vibrancy. Other urban renewal projects such as Melbourne 3000 have focused on delivering residential infrastructure with excellent results.
In addition to increasing the number of residents in the city, city to the lake will deliver world-class facilities and infrastructure, including a major new public waterfront for the city; an aquatic facility; a new convention and exhibition centre; a city stadium; residential, commercial and mixed use development opportunities; and recreation, cultural and community facilities.
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