28 June 2014

Redevelopment of Northbourne Avenue begins

28 June 2014 | Canfan

The transformation of Northbourne Avenue will soon begin with the lodging yesterday of the Development Application for the demolition of the Dickson Flats on the corner of Northbourne Avenue and Morphett Street.

Once the DA has been approved, the Land Development Agency will engage a civil contractor to undertake the demolition of the flats, and later this year the site will be released to the market in accordance with the government’s land release program.

It is anticipated that the new development on the site will include up to 160 one and two bedroom apartments replacing the existing 21 single bedsitter flats which have reached the end of their useful life. All Dickson Flats tenants have been relocated.

Design controls will ensure the heritage significance of the precinct is respected.

In accordance with the Territory Plan, the new buildings will be modest in height with a maximum of eight storeys; however one will be four stories to reflect the original design of being a gateway to the Northbourne Housing precinct.

To further preserve the historical significance of the Dickson Flats, the LDA has worked with Ancher Mortlock and Murray, Sydney Ancher’s original firm, as well as local architectural firms, to prepare design guidelines that reflect the original post war modernism design but interpret it from a 21st century perspective.

This is an exciting time in the revitalisation of Northbourne Avenue and I look forward to watching this project unfold in coming years.

Full details of the proposed development are available on the LDA website www.lda.act.gov.au

(Andrew Barr Media Release)

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gooterz6:11 pm 29 Jun 14

dungfungus said :

rommeldog56 said :

Generally, battery power for trams and other “wireless” propulsion ideas are far from maturity so the choices are 100 year old catenary/pantograph technology or new (and proven) self powered ICE-hybrid catenary free railcars.
The decision to use the former has already been made.

So, do u know where it has been announced/published that Capital Metro will be using the older cantenary/pantograph technology ?

Will that be along the whole route ? Presumably, it is cheaper ?

Let’s just say “industry sources”.
Flemington road will have the ugly wires and poles.

One the positive side the project is doomed for anything but stage one, so the ugliness will be limited to the privileged few.

And the 100 or so passengers that ride this every day will have limited view of the wires

dungfungus5:25 pm 29 Jun 14

switch said :

dungfungus said :

This system is in use in some cities in Europe and it is being considered for parts of the Sydney light train project which are “heritage sensitive”.

Sydney? “Heritage sensitive!!” I am reminded of the arguments that building owners put up to stop the first bit of “new” light rail in Sydney going ahead – the catenary would destroy their building’s heritage value. Looked pretty dumb when they were reminded that those funny old rings and other bits of steel still attached to their heritage buildings were from Sydney’s old tramway network!

Those bits of steel and funny bits are now 80 years old.
That’s heritage.

dungfungus5:24 pm 29 Jun 14

rommeldog56 said :

Generally, battery power for trams and other “wireless” propulsion ideas are far from maturity so the choices are 100 year old catenary/pantograph technology or new (and proven) self powered ICE-hybrid catenary free railcars.
The decision to use the former has already been made.

So, do u know where it has been announced/published that Capital Metro will be using the older cantenary/pantograph technology ?

Will that be along the whole route ? Presumably, it is cheaper ?

Let’s just say “industry sources”.
Flemington road will have the ugly wires and poles.

rommeldog565:00 pm 29 Jun 14

Generally, battery power for trams and other “wireless” propulsion ideas are far from maturity so the choices are 100 year old catenary/pantograph technology or new (and proven) self powered ICE-hybrid catenary free railcars.
The decision to use the former has already been made.

So, do u know where it has been announced/published that Capital Metro will be using the older cantenary/pantograph technology ? Will that be along the whole route ? Presumably, it is cheaper ?

switch2:43 pm 29 Jun 14

dungfungus said :

This system is in use in some cities in Europe and it is being considered for parts of the Sydney light train project which are “heritage sensitive”.

Sydney? “Heritage sensitive!!” I am reminded of the arguments that building owners put up to stop the first bit of “new” light rail in Sydney going ahead – the catenary would destroy their building’s heritage value. Looked pretty dumb when they were reminded that those funny old rings and other bits of steel still attached to their heritage buildings were from Sydney’s old tramway network!

davo1012:05 pm 29 Jun 14

rommeldog56 said :

There is also a very feint black line/wire above the drawing of the tram that seems to disappear into “nothingness”. LOL .

Yeap, they are the trolley wires I was referring to.

rigseismic671:50 pm 29 Jun 14

The Roundabout Crew sum it up nicely with things you never hear people say in Canberra ‘ yeh, an apartment on Northbourne Avenue, that would be a good investment’

dungfungus1:37 pm 29 Jun 14

rommeldog56 said :

davo101 said :

rommeldog56 said :

Oh – I also note that there are no electricity power line poles in the pic in the OP……..

Probably because Northbourne has underground power. At least they haven’t drawn the street lights floating in mid-air.

Interesting – Im not sure how underground power would work with trams/light rail ??? There is also a very feint black line/wire above the drawing of the tram that seems to disappear into “nothingness”. LOL – I just wish they would be honest in these artist impressions I suppose.

I can just see the ACT Gov’t telling the artist to “take out the wires/poles” !!!

But then again, its all about the spin I suppose.

Capital Metro is looking at running the trams up the Northbourne Avenue median strip without a catenary. Power would be supplied by incredibly expensive and short life onboard devices called “super capacitors” (high tech batteries) which will power trams for about 1500 metres (if the aircon & heating isn’t used). This system is in use in some cities in Europe and it is being considered for parts of the Sydney light train project which are “heritage sensitive”.
Generally, battery power for trams and other “wireless” propulsion ideas are far from maturity so the choices are 100 year old catenary/pantograph technology or new (and proven) self powered ICE-hybrid catenary free railcars.
The decision to use the former has already been made.

rommeldog5611:28 am 29 Jun 14

davo101 said :

rommeldog56 said :

Oh – I also note that there are no electricity power line poles in the pic in the OP……..

Probably because Northbourne has underground power. At least they haven’t drawn the street lights floating in mid-air.

Interesting – Im not sure how underground power would work with trams/light rail ??? There is also a very feint black line/wire above the drawing of the tram that seems to disappear into “nothingness”. LOL – I just wish they would be honest in these artist impressions I suppose.

I can just see the ACT Gov’t telling the artist to “take out the wires/poles” !!!

But then again, its all about the spin I suppose.

dungfungus10:51 am 29 Jun 14

davo101 said :

I see that the trolley wires are still going to be held up by sky hooks. Perhaps drawing all of the poles and wires is too tiring for the artist.

You mean “invisible” sky hooks I think.

dungfungus10:31 am 29 Jun 14

This “development” is part of the Labor minority government’s light rail propaganda as a few contributors to this thread have already picked up on.
I am posting a “letter to the editor” that was sent to a newspaper in the USA which is critical of they way a light rail is being imposed on an area in Eden Prarie, Minnesota.
The letter covers all the issues that are relevant to Canberra’s proposed light rail folly. I sent a letter to the editor of the Canberra Times recently coveing these same issues (particularly the situation with the way Canberra would be abandoning the aesthetic beauty of having power and communications kept underground) but they didn’t publish it. Hopefully, this forum will get the message out.
“To the editor:

Does Eden Prairie need to buy into the fiasco that is light rail? How about we actually reject light rail for all of the many practical reasons it is a mistake?

I work at the University of Minnesota and have experienced the intrusive years-long Green Line construction project as it ground by interminably. Is this really what Eden Prairie residents want? The cost is so awful, I actually can be brought to tears thinking about the good this funding could do in other areas. For a city always so concerned about duplication of services, how is this not a classic case? SouthWest Transit costs us millions and gets people where they need to go in less time that light rail will. People ride the Green Line because they took away their bus service!

Click to deleteIn bad weather, my bus commute can take an hour, which sucks. But at least the buses get me to work eventually. The light rail and the Northstar Commuter Rail have had to completely suspend service for hours or days due to cars, snow or ice on the tracks, structural damage, etc. Approximately one person a month has been killed by light rail. I can’t remember the last time a death has occurred due to a Metro Transit or SouthWest Transit bus.

After years of working to bury underground cables for telephone, TV service, etc., we now decide to erect huge above-ground pylons and string cables and transformers through the middle of our city? Light rail is just plain ugly.

Last, let’s talk about technology. The future of transportation is in self-driving vehicles. This is not a pipe dream – this is the reality of technology. Light rail is not a “forward-thinking” concept. It is an old concept already found lacking and replaced with better options. If this was not true, we would still have streetcars. Buses can easily change routes, and add or decrease service according to where it is needed. Light rail is a fixed route with no ability to add stations – it is a very limited mode of transportation.

This is no time for crickets. Say what you think.

Claire Hilgeman

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