ACT - General Projects and Discussion (-5lvl)

[tayser]

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...55E601,00.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/det...ws&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.

___________

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

[Euphoria]

Originally Posted by tayser

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.

Do we have a look-see at this yet?

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.

Or this?

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.

Yeah, that sounds about right, but have we seen an ounce of action?

[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.

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)
http://www.canberraairport.com.au/do...aster_plan.pdf

[abc]

From my daily walk around the lake via the two bridges..

The first three though are the balloons on Saturday morning.. about 40 in town at the moment.



This is the National Museum which always reminds me of a Bunnings Warehouse.



You can just make out the crane driver at the end of the boom.



And the bloody carp in the lake.. they're full of bones.

[tayser]

awesome images abc.

bunnings

[Blue_Copper]

excerllent you must use a camera similar to mine

[GMAC]

Love the carp, reminds me of going fishing with my mates as a kid under the Kings Ave Bridge!!

[Muse]

Great abc. Thanks.

I like Happy Tree balloon. The carp look a little crazed.

[steve_nova]

Thanks for the pics abc, really great.

[Auxodium]

it is a shame that Canberra could of been even more iconic IF it followed the orginal plans by Burley Griffin.

[Gertzy]

One thing I found weird about Canberra from my Recent trip (Which I came back from Today) was that there are Seagulls along the Lake, I call them the Lake Burley Griffin Lakegulls even though they are Seagulls.

[Oriolus]

Seagulls (in Australia most are Silver Gulls) can be found a long way inland - they breed in their thousands at Lake Eyre when it fills.

[Gertzy]

Okay, never knew that.

[Trances]

man those are some odd hot air ballons

[abc]

An update.... they're about to change the front of the lake at Commonwealth place.. new piers etc and a curved front... it's between the High Court and National Library.