Page 221 - Week 01 - Thursday, 15 December 2016
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Development Agency take a clear role in planning the future of our suburbs and renewing our suburbs and town centres.
I will ensure broad consultation strategies are implemented for major projects and proposals, including exploring deliberative democracy tools and seeking input from as wide a range of people as possible, to ensure the voices of the many and varied communities across Canberra are heard. I will also endeavour to make it easier for the public to understand and have input into planning processes.
As our city continues to grow and develop, it is vital that we continue to pursue the highest possible standards in our built environment. It is also vital that we pursue quality urban renewal outcomes so that our city can continue to grow, but at the same time ensure that what we love about Canberra is preserved. We need to ensure that building and infrastructure assets in our city are well designed, well built and well maintained and that urban areas are revitalised so that they continue to offer attractive places to live, work and play.
In private housing, we know there are gaps in the housing choices people have in our existing suburbs. Freestanding suburban houses and apartments close to our group and town centres suit many people but not all. I will make this a major priority for this parliamentary term. We will engage with the community to talk about housing choices—the types of housing, the best locations and potential changes to our planning system to encourage responses that meet the needs of the community. I will also pursue improvements in the availability of universal housing—housing that meets the needs of Canberrans at all levels of ability and of all ages.
I would also like to touch on my commitment to provide Canberrans with healthy waterways. Canberrans are lucky to enjoy an array of natural rivers and creeks and man-made lakes and ponds. But the health of our waterways is not as good as it could be. Over the next four years we will be constructing projects under the healthy waterways project, also known as the basin priority project. This will include new wetlands and bio-retention systems built across Canberra and the restoration of some of our older urban stormwater drains back into more naturalised creek environments. These projects will improve the quality of our water as well as improve amenity for nearby residents and contribute to the health of the broader environment. There will also be opportunities for each and every Canberra resident to contribute to the increased health of our waterways.
Touching on the subject of our “bush capital”, I will lead a new focus on our environmental assets, building on the best of our natural environment to develop a modern bush capital. This will encompass work at every level, from our mountains to the Canberra Nature Park, the urban forest and our community gardens. The opportunities to showcase our city as a modern bush capital are immense. We will work on micro parks in our inner city areas, ensuring that city workers and residents have access to generous green spaces that are well designed, well built and well maintained. I will also ask my directorate to increase its efforts to ensure that living assets such as trees, waterways and parklands are carefully integrated into the way we approach planning and development in our city.
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