Page 1484 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 9 May 2017
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First, I would like to turn the chamber’s attention to the second part of the bill, which permits the creation of a City Renewal Authority. Part 2 clause 8 of the bill brings forward a new and exciting charter for land development in the city by outlining the objects of the authority. This section includes a focus on the support of a lively and energetic city through fostering and permitting a “design-led and people-focused urban renewal”. Indeed, as Jane Jacobs, one of the world’s most influential urban thinkers, claimed in her seminal piece, “downtown is for people”.
The objects of the authority also speak to the importance of social and ecological sustainability, reflecting the changing face and priorities of our city. In terms of residential, commercial and industrial buildings, it will support development that reflects that change, and I am pleased that this bill addresses these issues.
Part 2 clause 19 provides for the membership of the authority. I am pleased to say that the authority’s governing board will be made up of a diverse group of experts. The authority’s governance will seek a wide variety of opinions with voices being heard from experts in fields such as community building, social inclusion, civil engineering, environmental sustainability, architecture and design.
In the immediate term, we will begin to see a new approach to land development in the city by July of this year. The authority will be focusing on the renewal of the central business district and Dickson, along with the creation of the lakeside precinct in West Basin.
Building a thriving CBD benefits all Canberrans, whether you live in Weston Creek or Gungahlin, work in the city, want to go to a world-class show or want your children to have a broader range of employment enlivened by a growing city centre. Building a living city centre is critical for Canberra’s economic and business development, supporting knowledge exchange and connecting with our major institutions like the Australian National University. And it is critical for our tourism to make the city a destination to visit in its own right, along with our famous national attractions.
The creation of a new waterfront precinct called the West Basin is an important activation of one of our city’s greatest assets, Lake Burley Griffin. This will be a major project that the authority will focus on with the intention to connect the city to the lake to the benefit of our whole community. It will take the same precinct-based approach that we have seen in projects like the Elizabeth Quay in Perth or Southbank in Brisbane.
The space will be transformed into a vibrant precinct with restaurants, bars, cafes and community facilities. It will be a place where Canberrans come together to celebrate with family and friends. It has already been projected to be the place of festivals and large community events. The West Basin boardwalk has already commenced construction as of February of this year. It is great to see that progress has already been made with the federal government’s project.
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