The lake doesn’t smell as bad if you run faster. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
It has a reputation as the land the ACT Government forgot. And there seems to be some truth to the perception – at least from many locals.
A few years after it poured a lot of concrete down Anketell Street in the town centre, the ACT Government is redoing the Lake Tuggeranong foreshore to “create a more liveable, people-focussed and active space for the Tuggeranong community to enjoy”.
There’ll be new timber decking along the waterfront, widened and repaved paths, new trees and furniture and two new accessible facilities to replace the dilapidated public toilet.
Unfortunately, this also means the iconic ‘fort’ playground – with its big and slightly scary metal insects – is no more, but it will be replaced with a climbing tower, swing, double flying fox, climber rope, balance challenge, sand digger and boulders.
Construction is expected to be complete in a couple of months.
But this got us thinking: What else does Tuggeranong need to become great?
It’s goodbye to the old Tuggeranong ‘fort’. Photo: Claire Fenwicke.
There were calls on the Canberra Notice Board Group on Facebook a few weeks ago for the Homeworld tower to be heritage-listed. Region contacted the owners twice about this – and when the iconic blue light might return to its top – but received no reply.
So we went to the people, via a post on The Canberra Page. And here’s some of what we got back …
KFC Tuggeranong on fire, 25 October 2023. Photo: Murray Charlton.
1. KFC
It’s been more than 200 days since Tuggeranong lost a KFC to call its own when a fire erupted in the kitchen on 25 October 2023 and gutted the place. It’s since been demolished, but there’s no word on when finger-lickin’ chicken is coming back. So maybe we should have a backup … in Chisholm?
2. Chemist Warehouse
The closest you’ll get to walking through aisles too narrow for humans while picking up hair products, scripts and other assorted cosmetic goodies for cheap is Woden, although some Tuggeranonganites swear by the Discount Drug Store in South.Point.
3. Public transport
Buses are a bone of contention for Tuggeranong; specifically, how few and far between they are.
“More electric buses and better express services that actually service suburbs and can be focussed on high demand areas would be better suited,” one comment read.
“As long as the journey to Civic is faster than riding a bike, but it isn’t. And there are no plans for it either,” another read.
It’d be nice if we could see light rail sometime this century too.
Richardson Shops … looking good. Photo: Joy Burch.
4. Richardson Shops
The shopping precinct along Clift Crescent has been a boarded-up haunt for people up to no good since the IGA supermarket moved out in 2019, followed by the hairdressing salon in 2022.
The owners have since told Region they’re “currently negotiating with prospective tenants for the site and are excited with the possibilities”, but it’s not happening fast enough for most.
5. Ice rink
“ROLLER SKATING RINK!” This one turned up again and again in the comments.
It is coming.
The $16.2 million project will be called the ‘Canberra Arena’, and located on Rowland Rees Crescent in Greenway. The ACT Government hopes to attract international teams to two ice sheets for figure skating, broomball, speed skating and ice hockey.
There will be space for 3600 spectators and also an indoor rock-climbing facility for all three Olympic disciplines of lead, speed and bouldering.
Artist’s impression of the Tuggeranong ice rink. Image: ACT Government.
The due date is 2025, but there’s still tumbleweed blowing across the construction site.
“Need more cafes and restaurants that actually stay open at night after 9 pm … things for young adults to do, roller skating ring be good too,” another comment read.
Which brings us to our next point …
6. More nightlife
“A night club, something like the Basement – some sort of nightlife other than the Vikings,” a commenter wrote.
“Better bars.”
“Restaurants, cafes, and maybe a classy bar with lake frontage instead of Maccas and burnt-out KFC fast food establishments.”
Or, how about one commenter’s shopping list: “Costco, Spotlight, go-kart track, putt-putt, nightclubs, more events in the park, concerts/music in the afternoon, food events, BBQs.”
We’ve seen this transformation in the heart of Woden in recent years. It seems it’s high time Tuggeranong received the same treatment.
7. “Nothing! Can’t improve on perfection”
We appreciate your spirit, Mark.
8. Honourable mentions
- Sanitation
- A hospital
- A new skate park
- Athllon Drive duplication
- Water jets in the lake “to make it look less like a murky, skanky germ-ridden swamp”
- Cycle path along the Monaro Highway
- Fewer “red-shoed mullet-wearing flogs”
- Levelling [that’s not nice]
- A giant statue of an owl.
Have we missed anything?
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