Page 3981 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 30 October 2013
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meet and gather more interest and amenity. Our investment in pedestrian and cycle networks around the city centre is making the city better for active transport and good health outcomes. Work underway on Constitution Avenue will be a step in delivering change and growth opportunities in the city centre and will deliver on another part of the Griffin plan for Canberra as a city of boulevards and vistas.
It is a simple equation: more residents in the city centre mean more economic opportunities, more investment and more people who have a clear interest in making the city centre a great place to be.
The population of the ACT is expected to increase by roughly 80,000 people over the next 15 to 20 years. In response to this forecast, the city plan looks to accommodate 10 per cent of that population growth, around 8,000 people, in the city centre. That is a lot of people; it translates to about 5,000 additional dwellings needed and therefore lots of investment opportunity. As the draft city plan identifies, we have ample capacity, even within existing planning controls, to let that happen. There is about 1.8 million square metres of capacity to support investment in growth and change over the next 20 years. Given that the city centre currently occupies approximately 1.3 million square metres, there is clearly room for growth. That amount of capacity means there are real opportunities to revitalise and rejuvenate existing areas and to provide new areas for growth and development that can shape the future of the city centre. The draft city plan sets a framework for that investment and for delivering all the services and opportunities that an increase in the population will bring.
Most of the land available for new development in the city centre is around City Hill in Vernon Circle and in West Basin near the lake. Naturally those areas will see a lot of change and development occurring, bringing character and life with them as investment happens. The draft plan looks to activate the City Hill area as the core of the city centre, the place that people will identify with and go to for cultural activities, and the place people will walk through to connect with the rest of the city centre and the lake. West Basin will be a new neighbourhood of residents and commercial activities. It will also be the place where all Canberrans can come and enjoy the great asset that the lake is for our city. From our consultations, we know there are many in the community who cannot wait for the projects from the city to the lake proposal to come to fruition.
Other areas of the city centre will also change and grow as more residents move in and bring a life and economic impetus of their own. The draft city plan looks to see the city centre consolidate its role as the prime commercial and employment centre, with modest growth to a working population of 45,000, up from the current 38,000.
The close proximity of education, knowledge and training hubs such as the ANU, the CSIRO and CIT to the city centre also offers opportunities for these key organisations to engage with the corporate community in the city, particularly where it can create career pathways for students. Building on the work and investment that the government has currently undertaken in the city centre, the draft city plan sets a clear direction for change and growth and a path for the city centre’s future. It builds on key projects like capital metro and the upgrade of Constitution Avenue to reshape the way
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