Page 4937 - Week 15 - Thursday, 15 December 2005
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Then there is section 84 in the city—the QIC Canberra Centre development, precincts A and B, which are retail, commercial and entertainment. There is a gross floor area of 54,939 square metres to the value of $105 million. Then there is section 84, precinct D in the city, which is a residential development with a gross floor area of 29,000 square metres, to the value of $30.5 million. There is also section 89 in the city, precinct C of the Canberra Centre development—a new building for the commonwealth taxation office—with a gross floor area of 49,220 square metres, to the value of $110 million.
We then go to City West, section 6—the new Metropolitan development—which is a residential tower complex with a gross floor area of 38,400 square metres, to the value of $50 million. We also have section 91, across the road from the Metropolitan—the new building for the National Information and Communication Technology Australia Centre, with a gross floor area of 20,000 square metres, to the value of $45 million. There is then section 90 in the city—the Williamson building—consisting of 7,993 square metres, to the value of $16.6 million. We also have the proposed development at the new YMCA site which members will see is now commencing. The ANU precinct master plan, which will shortly be formally approved by the ACT Planning and Land Authority, will have approximately 180,000 square metres of mixed-use research, academic, commercial and accommodation development, with an estimated value of $600 million.
All of this tells us that in total there are some 500,000 square metres of gross floor area approved for development or under construction right now in our city centre, with a total value of $1.1 billion. This is not a city centre that is stagnating, it is a city centre that is growing and changing the face of the commercial centre of Canberra—and it is happening, I am proud to say, under a Labor government.
The government will continue with major investigations and studies to further prepare the groundwork for long-term sustained development funded by the government through our Canberra central program. These investigations will include looking at road engineering and infrastructure feasibility issues; further land economics analyses; the development of a dedicated car parking strategy, which is important for the future of our city centre; identifying a range of sites for new structure car parks, as well as the capacity for alternative means of providing for transport in and out of the city.
A new single planning document is currently under development. This is linked to our planning system reform work. Its purpose is to simplify planning arrangements between the ACT Planning and Land Authority and the National Capital Authority. More work is to be done on investigations into further improving the public realm of the city and pedestrian movement.
This comes on top of the work currently underway through the Canberra central program, including the development of paving guidelines; street furniture guidelines; a place management and maintenance review; the development of the Childers Street art precinct, which is shortly to go to tender for construction; forward design of the City West performing arts facility; improvement of safety in the city; a new signage system for Canberra central being rolled out just this week; improvements to Alinga Street; the removal of clutter from public spaces; a public arts program; the development of the area benefit levy; our very successful Christmas in the City program and an ongoing range of
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