Page 1182 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 4 May 2022
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Negotiations with Lendlease are now underway, and we hope to sign a contract in the next couple of months. Once in contract, Lendlease, in partnership with the ACT government, will progress the current design concept for the new facility towards a final design that meets the needs of Canberra’s growing community now and into the future. The design process will be iterative, with community feedback at the heart of the project.
Construction on the adjacent public transport interchange is already underway. Construction of the campus itself is expected to commence next year and create over 500 local jobs. Meanwhile, we have also recently lodged the estate development plan with the independent planning authority. The EDP is currently on public notification and I encourage the community to have their say.
DR PATERSON: Minister, how has community feedback been incorporated into this design so far?
MR STEEL: I thank the member for her supplementary question. The views of the Canberra Institute of Technology teachers and students, and the broader Woden community, have been at the very centre of the new campus design as it has evolved. Community consultation undertaken to date has directly fed into the design requirements that we are currently negotiating with Lendlease. This includes the construction of a public east-west pedestrian boulevard through the campus, connecting the Woden interchange to the town square and the rest of the town centre. The pedestrian boulevard will be activated with green spaces, seating and frontage from the campus, including cafes and shelter.
We will also be establishing a new north-south road connection, a local access road, which will be a shared zone as well, connecting Bradley and Bowes streets. The connection will provide access for local vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. We are installing new public toilets at the adjacent Woden interchange, in response to requests from the community last year.
Last week I released the findings of our most recent round of consultation, which was undertaken over the summer period. This engagement piece highlighted how important activated, clean, open, well-lit and safe public spaces are to the community, as well as clear signage. We will make sure that these considerations remain a top priority as the design progresses. The community can have their say in the estate development plan for the next week. There will be multiple further opportunities to provide feedback, ahead of the development application process later on this year.
MS ORR: Minister, how will CIT Woden support the government’s skills and workforce agenda?
MR STEEL: I thank the member for her question. Last week I joined a group of key industry representatives and training partners to launch Skilled to Succeed, a new skills and workforce agenda for the ACT. The document set out the government’s ambitions for Canberra for the growth of our economy, the wellbeing of our community, the capability of our workforce and the great jobs that thriving local industries can offer.
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