Page 1482 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 9 May 2017
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Across the board, proximity to employment and services is important, and so is the preservation of our bushland and moving towards renewable energy sources. With so many variables in play, strategic and effective urban renewal and suburban development are critical to achieving a sustainable ACT, building strong communities and delivering housing options to our residents.
The ACT government is committed to building thriving communities. There are so many examples of exciting urban renewal that are planned or already underway in our city. Light rail will connect our city with zero emissions transport. It will also encourage residential and commercial development along its route, enlivening our communities. We are already seeing this happen along the Northbourne corridor.
City to the lake will see approximately 15,000 new residents living in the city centre. This project will bring the West Basin of Lake Burley Griffin to life. It will also increase our urban density, which is an effective way to reduce our environmental footprint. The same can be said for suburban development. Our town centres are the focus of a range of projects to revamp local assets, create active travel corridors and communal spaces, and provide housing options.
Urban renewal and thoughtful suburban development deliver social, environmental and economic benefits to our community. With so much change happening in the ACT, it is important that the entities managing our development projects are of the highest calibre.
The City Renewal Authority and Suburban Land Agency Bill sets out to achieve just that. The bill creates two new development bodies: the City Renewal Authority and the Suburban Land Agency. These new entities will deliver urban renewal and suburban development projects around our city. Their specialist mandates and tailored organisational structures will promote effective, sustainable and community-focused development in the territory.
The City Renewal Authority will be a statutory authority with expertise in design, engineering, sustainability and community building. It will take responsibility for leading urban renewal projects in declared urban renewal precincts. We have seen these precinct-focused bodies deliver outstanding results in other cities. For example, the development of Southbank in Brisbane and Elizabeth Quay in Perth were both managed by specialist authorities. The results were impressive, with both Southbank and Elizabeth Quay evolving into highly activated and community-focused destinations.
The City Renewal Authority will take the same precinct-based approach in the ACT. It will lead major projects and associated land acquisitions and sales. It will actively engage with the community and run design competitions to ensure our public areas reflect our people. The authority’s first responsibilities will include the renewal of the Northbourne Avenue, Civic and West Basin precinct. In the future, the authority will also be responsible for the delivery of the Haig Park master plan. The
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video