25 October 2022

Territory Plan changes to pave way for 2000-plus homes on Kamberra site

| Ian Bushnell
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Kamberra aerial view

An aerial view of the Kamberra site, looking north. Photos: Canberra Town Planning.

More than 2000 new homes and commercial areas in the Inner North are a step closer with the government considering changes to the Territory Plan for the proposed Kamberra Estate.

ACT concrete firm Elvin Group is behind the project, which was first proposed in 2013.

Draft Variation 383 will allow the redevelopment of Block 8 Section 69 and Blocks 18 and 27 Section 71 Lyneham for a mix of commercial and residential uses, rezoning the land from Non-Urban NUZ1 Broadacre zone to Commercial CZ5 Mixed Use zone.

It will also set new rules to guide a future Estate Development Plan and individual building development applications, implement the relevant planning recommendations of the City and Gateway Urban Design Framework, the ACT Climate Change Strategy 2019-2025 and Canberra’s Living Infrastructure Plan: Cooling the City.

Blocks 25 and 28 Section 71 Lyneham will also be rezoned, from NUZ1 Broadacre Zone to PRZ1 Urban Open Space Zone.

The Kamberra site lies adjacent and to the west of Thoroughbred Park Canberra Racing Club and opposite Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC), with Block 18 including the now-defunct Kamberra Winery.

Proposed Kamberra site

The site is sandwiched between Thoroughbred Park racecourse and the Federal Highway.

The land fronts the Federal Highway and the light-rail corridor for 900 metres.

Elvin Group planned to develop Kamberra Estate in stages over a five to 10-year period, with Territory Plan changes expected to be finalised in the first half of 2023, followed by estate planning for block layouts and essential infrastructure.

READ ALSO Planners call for more open development assessment process

Construction on what would virtually be a new suburb could start in 2025.

The estate would support a multigenerational community, and a range of dwelling types is envisaged, including those for local downsizers who wish to stay in the area.

Although a final dwelling mix is not yet known, Elvin Group has committed to a minimum of 300 dwellings with three or more bedrooms, 800 two-bedroom dwellings and no more than 40 per cent of any particular dwelling type.

Eventually, Kamberra will contain 2000 and 2500 dwellings, depending on the final dwelling mix and the amount of commercial space, and hold a population of between 3000 and 4000 people.

Commercial development will include a mixed-use precinct at the Phillip Avenue entry to Kamberra, adjacent to the existing Phillip Avenue light-rail stop.

Kamberra concept drawing

A concept drawing of construction on the Kamberra site.

An active commercial and retail hub is proposed around a central plaza, while closer to Flemington Road, there are opportunities for offices, serviced apartments and/or a hotel.

Elvin Group has a strong commitment to sustainability and is in the process of decarbonising its concrete business and expanding its renewable-energy arm, including a green hydrogen project.

It says Kamberra will be designed to mitigate against the heat-island effect – with a 30 per cent tree canopy cover, water features and permeable surfaces – and embody sustainability principles from energy efficiency to promoting active travel to reducing the carbon footprint.

DV383 includes a “Streets for People” design in which speed is limited to 15 km/h, giving priority to pedestrians and cyclists over motor vehicles. A reduced road carriageway width of 6.5 m is proposed to further slow vehicles, and to also significantly reduce hard surfaces.

Kamberra will be an all-electric development and future-proofed to cater for electric vehicles, with EV charging points provided.

Development on that side of the Federal Highway in that part of the Inner North will also include the Yowani Country Club proposal and Canberra Racing Club’s plans for Thoroughbred Park.

DV383 is open to comments until 18 November, 2022.

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Jammed between Epic where there are several noisy events every year, Federal Highway and the race track.

Doesn’t sound like a very peacefull place to live.

till people move in there and then start complaining about the noise and get everything cancelled. happens everywhere in canberra.

The site in 12.5 hectares. The buildings proposed near EPIC will be for commercial, serviced apartments or hotel purposes, all properly insulated for sound.

Think about this, 2000 to 2500 new dwellings with an average occupancy of 2.3 people is between 4600 and 5750 people. That’s a small town crammed into a space not much larger than a couple of playing fields. Makes me want to live there.

Are you being sarcastic? That genuinely does sound good to me. Anywhere you want to go in that “small town” you could easily walk. What is the downside?

The site is 12.5 hctares. More information https://kamberraestate.wordpress.com/

With 800 of the 1100 properties (72%) being 2-bedroom properties and internal road speeds limited to 15 km/h to discourage cars and prioritise pedestrians and cyclists, this development panders to the Labour-Greens ideology.

Based on the proposed narrow roads and 15km speed limits, I’m expecting the majority of those 2-bedroom properties to only have 1 car allocation (to further encourage “active transport” and funnel people onto LR).

A good place to live and raise a family, I’m not so sure?

Barr doesn’t like families.

I wasn’t far off the mark. I read the promotional material and the 2 beds get an average car space allocation of 1.3 spaces and the 3 and 4 bedroom places get an average car allocation of 1.5 car spaces.

At our house, we only have one car, but the flexibility of a 2 car garage is important, unless you can walk your “nanna” trolley to the supermarket.

Its spelled Labor

So another development which pretends few vehicles and ends up with cars parked absolutely everywhere.

Yep! If we want to reduce car use, this is not the way to do it. We need to have really good public transport throughout Canberra, not just a tram and infrequent, unreliable buses that don’t go to all locations. There is so much of Canberra that is inaccessible without a car.

I’m not sure the streets will be wide enough to park on.

Sounds great, i hope they stick with the “safe streets” principle.

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