Gungahlin to go up?

This will be the making of Gungahlin’s town centre. It paves the way also for the ACT Government to make the decision to walk away from sinking any more money into Calvary Hospital and instead start planning a third hospital on the land immediately east of the existing commercial construction.

The release of this Precinct Plan is the penultimate step in a long campaign by Gungahlin Community Council to lock in a future for our town centre as a true satellite city complete with employment base that doesn’t require us all to commute out every day.

ACTPLA planners have worked very well with GCC through this process, and particular credit should go to the good work done in the first stages of the study by young planner Jason Forrest.

Yes we have supported higher buildings in our core zones. But a close study of the draft variation will show the knockers that it incorporates a “building envelope” that ensures buildings cannot go straight up from the footpath as is so common everywhere else in Canberra, but instead step back the higher they go. This will preserve a pedestrian scale at the footpath and winter solar access.

We have also supported increased density around the town centre in the way of apartment complexes framing the commercial office developments. At the same time, we have been campaigning AGAINST the loss of the suburban back yard in other areas.

At our request, ACTPLA have set a long consultation period for this variation, giving us all plenty of time to digest the draft and formulate responses, despite being over Xmas and January.

I urge people to read up on the draft, or perhaps to come to our GCC meeting on Wednesday night to discuss it.

Increase…the…density…of…Gungahlin????

What – move the McMansions even closer together?

Gunghetto. +1

Gunghetto