30 March 2008

DFAT losing its parking

| LlamaFrog
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Heard that DFATs parking next to kings avenue is being taken over to build a new huge headquarters for the Department of Environment.

Dfat will get a six story car park built out the front of its offices, on the side of the moths that must not be touched, while below the enviro building will be parking for everybody.

I am sure there is info on the web that someone can link too.

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I had to get a bus to Barton from Civic one morning while car was away for oil, and it was incredibly packed. There were more standing than sitting, some perched on the lump at the front, and there was nothing to hold on to. Awful.

Surely those in Barton should have the right to get to work like everyone else?

Busses may be good from the southside, but from the northside there is nothing – you have to get off at the interchange and wait for a different bus, which may go to the far end of barton.

I aught refrain from continuing to dispense fish, when I should be teaching people how to fish instead.

@Miz – next time I won’t be so sociable with ready-to-find answers. Quit yer whining and use your eyes on the 10 minute drive to work you have.

Yeah, I imagine the JGB carpark must be sane again, now DAFF have nicked off. It got to the point where by 8.20am some days, all the spots were gone and people were fleeing around the back of OPH.

Park in the JGB carpark.

Thanks. Bugger – where the hell are all those cars (including mine!) going to go? the new AG’s building supposedly has some parking (I notice it’s almost as ugly as the former PM&C – who picked grey and white plastic for the outside?), but with a lottery system costing approx $500 a year, docked from the pay packet (!!!) I think I will just have to go pot luck on Uni days.

I bus it the other days.

Barton seems to be well served in peak hours by the bus actually . .

it’s also where the *current* DFAT parking is, the area within the boom gate.

miz, correct ! ( and yes the foodvan is gold )

Can’t read maps – is this the dirt parking behind the building site on National Circuit (where PM&C used to be? (It IS next to a lot of oaks, and there is a good burger van there too . . . best chips and gravy for k’s)

They’ll print anything so long as you write it for them, evidently! And supply a nice picture.

Only 3 months later.

I also heard that the canberra times is going to announce that Kevin Rudd won the election. But no one would believe that.

As usual, the official media eventually catches up with Riotact. This in the CT today:
http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/500m-govt-office-block-planned-for-barton-site/785069.aspx
although they failed to see a very newsworthy angle, that of DFAT losing its carpark and hundreds of cars on the loose in Barton. They didn’t even mention it. I suspect the story is straight from a media release.

Well, benefit or not, all other buildings have some form of parking for their workers. If this parking is removed, there’ll several hundred cars looking for parking in the area! And everyone will be affected.

ant not sure if you have looked over there lately, but it is already a shambles. The constructio period will only be an “adjustment period”. Why on earth should these characters have a benefit no one else in the country has?

bigred said :

Meke ’em pay to have their unused cars stored on valuable land. Either pay your way or don’t use it just like he rest of the world does. Those cossetted pubes really give me the …..!

You obviously didn’t read neanderthalis’s post carefully enough…

Well, if they start digging up the current carpark in July, but don’t build a replacment carpark for ages, it’s going to be a shambles. Maybe they’ll let them park on the median strips of Brisbane and Sydney avenues? Where on earth are they all going to go?!

I must admit I saw a bus near DFAT once, I think it was a tuesday.

But no matter what if the moths are threatened I will be the first in line to lead the resistance movement.

My favourite bit is:

“3.5 Transport and Parking

a) Parking policies for the York Park area are designed to encourage greater use of public
transport for the journey to work.

b) An overall reduction in the total long-term car parking provision is proposed…..”

What farking public transport???? I work in this area and can tell you that the bus (only a few each peak) takes twice as long as the drive.

bigred said :

Meke ’em pay to have their unused cars stored on valuable land. Either pay your way or don’t use it just like he rest of the world does. Those cossetted pubes really give me the …..!

Er if there was pay parking, sure. but there’s not even that.

Meke ’em pay to have their unused cars stored on valuable land. Either pay your way or don’t use it just like he rest of the world does. Those cossetted pubes really give me the …..!

There’ll be parking on the Parliament House lawns, you mark my words.

And why is this site crashing my computer tonight?????

At some point civil disobedience will probably start. Parking signs will be painted over and bollards chainsawed in the night.

carpark will be YEARS away

it’s going to be chaos

Where are these shops to be? In the new Environment building, or DFAT’s Moth-menacing carpark? There’s already some pretty tall buildings, the new thing they’re building next to PM&C, on the old McLaughlin Offices site, is pretty tall. They stuck a pine tree on it the other week, so I figure they’d started on teh roof.

And what’s starting in July… I’d assume they’d do the new carpark before uprooting the old one, or it’ll be Parking Madness. There’ll be cars all over the Moth paddock for sure.

neanderthalsis9:47 am 01 Apr 08

It seems the Oak plantation and the moths are heritage listed according to the NCA doc posted by Eyes:

The objective for the site is to allow development for National Capital
Use in the southern part of the Block and for purposes consistent with protection of the whole heritage listed York Park North Tree Plantation (commonly known as the Oak Plantation) at the northern end of the block, and to include provision for parking, either in basements and/or in a parking structure, and ancillary/small scale retail and personal services at building ground level.
Land Use Policy
The primary land uses permitted are:
???? National Capital Use; and
???? Open Space.
Other land uses permitted, ancillary
to and in association with the primary National Capital Use, are:
???? Car Park; and
???? Retail (small scale shop), Personal Services Establishment, Café, Bar and Restaurant at building ground level and within a Car Park structure if provided.

neanderthalsis9:41 am 01 Apr 08

600m high? The worlds tallest building, the Burj Dubai (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burj_Dubai) is only 604m. Either NCA is getting really ambitious or you mean 60m.

The mole in the NCA has been sent out into the cold.

The NCA has a 2005 York Park Master plan which covers the area between State Circle & National Circuit and between Kings Ave & Canberra Ave. (Actually its an amendment to an earlier plan.)

Yes, planned are car parking facilities, an open retail plaza, lots of offices, a linear park, a saved oak plantation and a temporary protection area for the moths if any survive.

The puddle in the car park of shame will be transformed into a tree lined parking street for a retail plaza with shops in the new buildings. A water feature with a plaque will commemorate its former state. Some buildings may be up to 600m high – about 9 stories.

Check out the many maps a diagrams here http://downloads.nationalcapital.gov.au/plan/NCP/amendments/Amdt_42/amdt_42.pdf

i love the carpark of shame , it’s free and easy 😀

it is happening, apparently end of july. the bottom level will be commercial with boutique shops and cafes.

The sign says Moths. I suspect it’s a long term social experiment by teh ANU Psych department. You’d think they’d install a few fake moths though, for veracity.

The car park with the giant mud puddle in it is known locally as The Carpark of Shame, incidentally.

So where’s some more gossip about this, eh?

moths ? i thought they were frogs ?

neanderthalsis9:57 am 31 Mar 08

Ahhh the joys of private sector employment. I love driving past the DFATers lined up searching frantically for a park off Bris ave or heading around to the dirt carpark off blackall / behind PMC that becomes a quagmire after 2mm or rain. Makes me appreciate my secure basement carpark all the more.

Yep, that 6 storey carpark will be “user pays” for sure. DFAT’s been living in la-la land for years, reality is starting to bite as those all-important postings start to dry up, this’ll be another nail in the coffin. They can compete on their real merits with the rest of the APS, and may the best department win.

The DFAT car park has always been a ‘temporary’ proposition notwithstanding the boom gates and uniformed protective service guard watching the traffic back up on Brisbane Ave during the morning rush. Rumours of its demise have been around for several years now. In recent months they have started some soil and earth testing works in the car park- a sign that things are moving ahead on the proposed building. Barton will be parking hell once construction starts. Then again, if the Ruddites sack half the the PS in the May budget, maybe it won’t be so bad.

A building has been in the pipeline there for years. First any word has come about a new multistory carpark. If this part is true, which I don’t doubt either what is the bet it will be a commercial paid carpark?

The building is at least two years away.

I don’t doubt you, LlamaFrog! You have released a scoop though. Surprised it took Finance so long to evict Heritage etc from the JGB, Finance are scattered all over the place. I wondered if htey might not just abolish the buggers if they wouldn’t move.

Now we need a mole in the NCA!

If DEWHA are getting York Park, where’s DFAT’s carpark going?

DEWHA gets a new building in York Park (north side, not moth side… has anyone ever seen those damn moths???) and then Finance gets to assimilate John Gorton Building completely. Resistance is futile.

Tried to find online proof, but the national capital authority has password protected their internet site http://www.nationalcapital.gov.au/ what are they hiding.

It is going ahead, just can’t seem to prove it.

will the new action timetable cater to this even greater need for pubic transport for pubes?

Where did you get this scoop from, LlamaFrog? Apparently, there were blokes surveying that carpark some months back. There’ll be wailing and gnashing of teeth over this, that whole area is a hodge-podge of cars on every scrap of dirt they can find. Losing another car park will have them on the Parly House lawns!

Figured that paddock with the moths was on borrowed time.

Pity they won’t build it in Gunghalin, think of all the Environment that’d save.

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