Canberra: $1.5billion 25 year development plan

[tayser]

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,11634068%255E601,00.html

Capital facelift to pay for itself
Elizabeth Colman
December 09, 2004

MOVE over, Paris. Take a back seat, Rome. Canberra is set to become the "ideal city" with a multi-million-dollar facelift that could earn the national capital $1 billion.

A Champs Elysee-style boulevard and Roman amphitheatre are planned for the national capital, which will also gain its own botanical gardens and a series of new bridges.

Land sales during the life of the 25-year project are calculated to reap $1 billion for the National Capital Authority, under a plan based on an 80-year-old design for the city by planner Walter Burley Griffin. Launched yesterday by the federal Government, the low to medium-rise development would also need a $23 million kick-start from private or public funding.

"This plan is not a dream scheme; it is not the commonwealth Government's wish list for the capital. It is a plan for immediate action, underpinned by economic and engineering feasibility studies," Local Government Minister Jim Lloyd said.

"The urban revitalisation of Constitution Avenue, City Hill and West Basin will be self-funding, delivering revenues from land sales in the order of $1 billion, while liberating substantial areas of under-utilised land for public use."

The archaic plan for a main boulevard lined with cafes and shops, among other capital works projects, was dusted off after the OECD recommended boosting public transport and encouraging more "innovative design" in a bid to help tourism and the local economy.

National Capital Authority chief executive Annabelle Pegrum said Canberra had failed to match up to Burley Griffin's vision for the city.

"Low-density enclaves have created monotonous single-use precincts that are largely devoid of the richness and urbanity originally intended by Griffin," she said. - got that right.

[tayser]

http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=local&story_id=356473&category=General+News&m=12&y=2004

Early start for grand plan NCA to clear way for city's redevelopment
By John Thistleton
Thursday, 9 December 2004

Land central to the $1.5 billion Griffin Legacy Plan for Canberra is likely to be released to developers as early as next year with construction work to follow in 2006.

The plan's architect, the National Capital Authority, is encouraging an immediate start to the implementation of the bold plan, which promises to revitalise Canberra's city centre, delivering a mix of residential, business and tourist development to the edge of Lake Burley Griffin.

Despite the plan's 25-year life, the NCA, the Federal and ACT Governments yesterday welcomed as soon a start as possible in a bid to build momentum for the Griffin Legacy, which envisages Canberra in 20 to 50 years' time.

Although a detailed master plan for several of the plan's key areas such as the redevelopment of Constitution Avenue into the city's "high street" will take until the end of next year to complete, the NCA's managing director, design, Graham Scott-Bohanna, said if any interested party wanted to make a start, the NCA would offer planning assistance.

The Griffin Legacy adapts the original plan by the city's designer, Walter Burley Griffin, to a new course for the national capital, including high-density apartments for 23,000 residents in a more pedestrian-friendly and revitalised inner city.

The first phase includes covering sections of Parkes Way and building apartment blocks on top of it, providing 5000-6000 dwellings for 10,000 people.

The plan's other key initiatives include: -The City Hill and Russell Apex, along Constitution Avenue, redeveloped to provide 7000 dwellings for 13,000 people.Reducing the barrier to Commonwealth Park by covering a section of Parkes Way to extend the edge of the city to the park, and develop quality, medium-rise, mixed-use buildings and active frontages.Extending Kingston Foreshores over adjoining degraded and industrial land to provide for non-polluting land uses near Jerrabomberra Wetlands.

Federal Territories Minister Jim Lloyd said the Griffin Legacy was not a dream scheme, nor a Commonwealth Government wish list, but a plan for immediate action.

Launching the plan yesterday, Mr Lloyd said the urban revitalisation of Constitution Avenue, City Hill and West Basin would be self-funding, delivering revenues to the ACT Government and the Commonwealth from land sales of $1.5 billion.

The plan will involve the Commonwealth and ACT governments, which will provide $23 million in start-up funds for the project, overseeing a program to release land to the private sector, a program that an economic feasability analysis says will generate a profit for the governments of $838 million.

Developers and the tourist industry yesterday embraced the concept, saying it will change forever Canberra's image as being dull and would put soul into the inner city, which the legacy plan acknowledges has not reached its full potential, failed to offer a cosmopolitan lifestyle and was an anti-climax when compared with the city's monuments and landscapes.

Mr Scott-Bohanna said the plan was so compelling that incentives would not be needed to entice investors.

Work to change some precincts could start sooner than the master plan's estimated completion date. For instance, the Department of Defence and Australian Security Intelligence Organisation in Russell were looking for additional office space which could be developed early as part of the plan.

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woooo! this'll go a long way towards covering some of those massive car parks to the East of Civic.

[kota16]

Maybe even a new Prime Ministers residence overlooking the Lake should be considered. A place where the PM could enertain and host important visitors, and proud to call home.

[Jimmy James]

^ That's actually a really good idea.

[ShayPlan]

That's a good find.

Just got back from Canberra and is amazes me why our national capital is not larger for one and have better PT.

The Y-plan of Canberra makes it easier for light rail to be introduced into suburban areas to the city...why they are not considered baffles me.

[perthwa]

any talk of a light rail or small heavy rail system, its population could support a small system?

[ShayPlan]

There was something a while back which was about introducing light rail from Belconnen to City via Northborne Ave and a possible extenstion to the Airport. If you look the website below it has an outline of such plans (breifly)
www.canberraairport.com.au/docs/vision/master_plan.pdf

[Blue_Copper]

pics ????

[Auxodium]

links??
(dead)

[Danubis]

lol, sorry to do the whole 'revive dead thread thing again', but it has been two years!!!!

[DEEP NORTH]

This hasn't been forgotten. A big chunk of money was given to it in this year's federal budget. From the National Capital Authority website:

Canberra's roads: building the Griffin Legacy
09 May 2007

The National Capital Authority has been funded by the Australian Government to redevelop Constitution Avenue and replace the Russell Roundabout with an overpass.

The Australian Government is committed to enhancing the nationally significant areas of the capital and to kick start the implementation of the Griffin Legacy initiatives.

What funding is the Australian Government providing?
Much of the discussion about the Griffin Legacy has centred on who would pay for the infrastructure. This initiative shows the Australian Government’s support of the Griffin Legacy vision for the central areas of the national capital.

More than $70 million will be spent over four years for the construction of significant public infrastructure for improvements and ongoing maintenance of roads in the National Triangle.

Of this amount, $58.8 million will be made available for the Kings Avenue bridge over Parkes Way upgrade and the Constitution Avenue re-development. The remainder is for ongoing maintenance of the roads and associated landscaping.

The NCA will maintain the roads which give access to critical Australian Government facilities, at an annual cost of more than $3 million.

The capital and ongoing funding rely on a cooperative approach between the Commonwealth and Territory Governments. Under the proposal, some roads would be declared National Land at no cost to the Australian Government, enabling it to continue developing and maintaining Canberra as the national capital.

(The NCA received $0.5m in the 2006-07 budget to further develop the urban planning initiatives in the Griffin Legacy. The NCA consequently undertook a comprehensive review and development of the key Griffin Legacy proposals which included several technical and professional consultancies).

What are the projects and what will the new works look like?
The funded projects will complete the National Triangle, creating the quality urban streetscape envisaged by the Griffins.

Constitution Avenue will be redeveloped to create a new quality streetscape. From Russell to Vernon Circle there will be two traffic lanes in each direction (one with bus priority) and on street parking on both sides of the Avenue. The design will allow for future light rail (or similar).

Constitution Avenue will become a unique street for Canberra, with broad, leafy pedestrian areas, elegant street furniture and integrated public art.

The work will enhance the public domain and is a pre-emptive strategy to prepare for new development along the avenue avoiding future traffic gridlock.

The NCA will also bridge Kings Avenue over Parkes Way, eliminating one of the worst traffic bottlenecks in Canberra at the Russell roundabout.

The new bridges will carry Kings Avenue over Parkes Way through to the Defence Headquarters at Russell. It will be a full diamond interchange, with on and off ramps to enable traffic to turn in all directions without the delays caused by the roundabout.

By bridging Kings Avenue over Parkes Way the visual integrity of this side of the National Triangle will enhance Kings Avenue and reinforce the vista from Parliament House to Russell, restoring the integrity of the Griffins’ National Triangle.