Page 1202 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 10 April 2018
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Garema Place in 2016. Their pop-up, featuring new seating, greenery, lighting and a range of colourful and vibrant additions to our city centre, make it a more welcoming place for people to sit, socialise and just spend time. Throughout the backyard experiment, visitors to Garema Place grew by almost 200 per cent, results that we hope to emulate in Woden town square.
The Woden experiment town hall in March gave members of the community an opportunity to outline how they use the square, their experiences of it and their ideas about how to make it a place that people want to spend more time in, rather than its current use—largely as a walkway from public service buildings located at Woden through to the Westfield shopping centre. There was the acknowledgement at the town hall of some of the challenges in the space, particularly its windy nature, but also of the opportunities to create a more useful space to meet with others, dine, enjoy the sun, wait for a bus and for children to play.
It is envisaged that the Woden experiment will see a six-month installation in the square, beginning in August, which will help to activate the area and provide a better place for people to mingle, sit and just enjoy. This is in addition to the existing micro park installation, which has already been in place since January near Woden Library and the Phillip Health Centre.
The Woden experiment town hall was well attended, with representatives from the Public Transport Association of Canberra, the Woden Valley Community Council, Woden Community Service, small business owners from Woden and, perhaps most importantly, regular residents of Woden who want to see their town centre become a more vibrant and welcoming place. Street Furniture Australia has also been conducting detailed interviews with users of the square to include their feedback during the consultation.
At this early stage I encourage all south-siders, particularly those living or working in Woden, to get involved in making Woden town square a better place for people and to support the government’s regeneration efforts in Woden. I look forward to seeing the discovery report. I will be keeping Woden residents updated as the project progresses.
Heritage—Manuka pool honour roll
MISS C BURCH (Kurrajong) (4.33): On the afternoon of Canberra Day I had the privilege of attending the unveiling of the refurbished Manuka pool honour roll. The honour roll commemorates the nine young men of the Canberra Amateur Swimming Club who gave their lives in service to our country in World War II. This important memorial has been restored, thanks to the efforts of the Friends of Manuka Pool and a grant from the commonwealth Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
Manuka pool has a long and rich history and it is a vital part of Canberra’s heritage. Upon opening in 1931, the pool became home to the Canberra Amateur Swimming Club, providing a social hub for young people in the area. Many of the young men who were part of the Manuka pool community went off to war in 1939. Sadly, nine of them never returned.
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