15 April 2009

Lawson South consultation kicks off

| johnboy
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Andrew Barr is asking for your thoughts on the proposed development of Lawson South. Basically the northern shore of Lake Ginninderra.

You can find the draft planning study online.

To have your say send in written comments by 12 May 2009 to: Project Manager, Lawson South Planning Study, Land Policy Section, ACT Planning and Land Authority

    Post: GPO Box 1908, Canberra ACT 2601
    Hand delivery: ACTPLA Customer Service Centre, 16 Challis Street, Dickson
    Email: actpla.lawson@act.gov.au

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I wonder if they’re putting that contaminated dirt in the giant hole at the old Tarago mine? There’s quite a lot of sand trucks mooching around there.

From the Canberra times today:
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/defence-land-set-aside-for-housing/1500218.aspx

The north part of Lawson is going to be used for housing as well.

Gungahlin Al10:47 pm 15 Apr 09

p1 said :

Isn’t there toxic waste on this land?

There has been a process taking place early this year of removing contaminated earth (dioxins I believe?) and covering it up with new material brought from Windellama.

As I recall a lot of lead based paint that all shook off the radio masts when they were dropped (rather than disassembled) as someone thought that would be a good quick way to get them down…

aidan said :

Heavs said :

You’d be paying a premium for the land because of the cleaning costs for living in what is really a pretty shitty area.

Shitty?…If it weren’t for the worry about contamination I’d be interested in a bit of land there.

Agreed Aidan. That southern part of Lawson in particular is in a very convenient spot – UC and Canberra Stadium just across the road, easy access to Civic via Heydon Drive, easy access to GDE (= Woden and Tuggers), Belco close by, and Lake Ginninderra as well.

Like you say, if not for the contamination…

I’ve heard they’ve run out of space for hazardous materials at the part of Mugga Lane that’s meant to cater for it. Anyone able to verify?

another boat ramp ?

If people are interested in more details of the old Belconnen Naval Radio Transmitting Station, have a look at;

http://www.qsl.net/vk1krf/BNRS/BNRS.htm

From the Canberra Times, 30/9/2008

City tip in line for tonnes of toxic soil

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/city-tip-in-line-for-tonnes-of-toxic-soil/1320912.aspx?storypage=0

More than 900 tonnes of toxic waste to be excavated from the former Belconnen Naval Transmission Station will be trucked across Canberra to Mugga Lane tip and dumped as landfill, according to Defence reports.

The whole area both north and south Lawson is currently zoned as suburban.

http://www.legislation.act.gov.au/ni/2008-27/copy/61968/pdf/2008-27.pdf

Primal said :

It’ll probably end up as a mixed zoning area – residential/commercial/intergalactic.

Planetary?

It’ll probably end up as a mixed zoning area – residential/commercial/intergalactic.

Isn’t there toxic waste on this land?

There has been a process taking place early this year of removing contaminated earth (dioxins I believe?) and covering it up with new material brought from Windellama.

Heavs said :

Ditto, I thought the cost of cleaning the land was so high that it would make any development non cost effective. You’d be paying a premium for the land because of the cleaning costs for living in what is really a pretty shitty area.

Shitty? That nothern bit could be quite nice. It has a really good solar orientation, and the slope of the land would allow most dwellings to get heaps of solar gain in winter. If it weren’t for the worry about contamination I’d be interested in a bit of land there. The thing is, if defence want their own housing on it, will they sell to the general public?

Chewy,

In the first page of that planning study there is this:

“The northern part of the suburb is the responsibility of the Department of Defence and as such is not part of this study.”

When talking about access to the site:

“Future access to the Defence land opposite Chuculba Crescent (not included in this study). “

and in the map

“Note that the potential connection to Defenceland is inferred only. Any development
impacting upon Defence land will be subject to the appropriate assessments and approvals at
the concept planning stage. “

There are heaps of places where say things like “if future development of the Defence land is to occur …”. Clearly it would be much better to plan the whole thing in the one go. Even if the defence part of it doesn’t get built for some time after Lawson South is initiated.

Skidbladnir said :

From http://www.ufoinfo.com/roundup/v04/rnd04_03.shtml (About halfway down)…
Oh noes, computer terminals! The civil unrest sure is taking a long time to come to a head, though.

A rumored secret underground base at Belconnen, in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) near Canberra, has joined Area 51 in the USA and the underground base at Corsham, Wiltshire, UK on the ufologists’ roster of UFO-related sites.
The base is known as “the Sheep Paddock” and is said to be located beneath an actual pasture in the Great Dividing Range near Canberra. Within the field are several antennae arrays and a small cinderblock security building that houses the elevator to the underground command post.

“There are at least three stories underground,” one source said. “On the third level, staff members man computer terminals.”

Some Belconnen watchers believe that the supposed base will serve as a national command post during civil unrest in Australia caused by Y2K…

meh. they have the “barn” now, don’t they?

Ditto, I thought the cost of cleaning the land was so high that it would make any development non cost effective. You’d be paying a premium for the land because of the cleaning costs for living in what is really a pretty shitty area.

Aidan,
the north Lawson part is also going to be residential.
I thought that the only problem was the little issue of cleaning it up:
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/revealed-toxic-waste-dump/1284309.aspx?storypage=1

Isn’t there toxic waste on this land?

From http://www.ufoinfo.com/roundup/v04/rnd04_03.shtml (About halfway down)…
Oh noes, computer terminals! The civil unrest sure is taking a long time to come to a head, though.

A rumored secret underground base at Belconnen, in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) near Canberra, has joined Area 51 in the USA and the underground base at Corsham, Wiltshire, UK on the ufologists’ roster of UFO-related sites.
The base is known as “the Sheep Paddock” and is said to be located beneath an actual pasture in the Great Dividing Range near Canberra. Within the field are several antennae arrays and a small cinderblock security building that houses the elevator to the underground command post.

“There are at least three stories underground,” one source said. “On the third level, staff members man computer terminals.”

Some Belconnen watchers believe that the supposed base will serve as a national command post during civil unrest in Australia caused by Y2K…

But I though that the facility where they store the bodies of the aliens from the crashed spaceship was under that land?

It is a good spot for student housing with the close proximity to UC. The planning study acknowledges this and is planning for some quite high density housing (4-6 story) and they are talking about a pedestrian bridge over Ginninderra Drive. Good move if it happens.

My biggest problem is the elephant in the room. The federal land on the old Belconnen Naval Transmission Station (BNTS). They talk alot about it in the planning study, but they have no idea what defence/federales plan to do on that site. Seems to me they should be talking to them and getting some concrete idea of their plans so they can incorporate it into their own planning for Lawson.

I had heard that Defence wanted to put defence housing on a fair bit of their land in north Lawson. Any defence moles want to comment on that?

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy12:08 pm 15 Apr 09

It sure wouldn’t be my first choice for a place to live.

Yay! More traffic lights! Freakin’ awesome.

Come live in Lawson down by the stinky wetlands, among the starving roos, the substation and the 130kV transmission lines. Where do I sign up?

There goes another popular sesh spot.

You’ll be able to watch ‘roo cullings from your back yard…

Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with the fast tracking of a zinc smelter being placed on this parcel of land.

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