What ideas do you have to transform City Hill from a 'massive roundabout' to a proper park?

Canberrans have been invited to submit their ideas to transform City Hill park from a bunny haven into a more accessible, comfortable and welcoming green space for all.

While an east-west path and pedestrian lights have been installed in recent years, Chief Minister Andrew Barr wants to see the five-hectare piece of land utilised to its full ability.

“It’s a lot of land and it can be more than it currently is,” he said.

“Canberrans of all ages are encouraged to share their ideas on how this underutilised site could be turned into a more interesting and engaging public space.”

A flagpole in the centre could present an opportunity for ceremonial flag-raising events, and Canberra’s Centenary Obelisk is also among the trees.

Ideas could include an exercise track, water and electricity infrastructure for pop-up food trucks and events, or just a nicer place to relax and enjoy some open space.

But don’t let your imagination run completely wild – the space falls under the National Capital Authority, and there are restrictions on what can reasonably be done.

“It is a park. It will be nothing other than a park, so there should be no conspiracy theories about any significant development here,” Mr Barr said.

“More significantly, I think [there’s potential] with the southern view over the Triangle … people do come to viewpoints to look at cities, so I suspect that would be the area where you might want to focus a seated area or a viewing platform or something to that extent.

“I guess the live question would be: to what extent could we put in some infrastructure that would support either food trucks or pop-up cafe-type things, or whether a permanent kiosk structure [is possible].”

There’s no budget or timeline for the work to be done at this stage, with six weeks of public consultation the first step.

City Renewal Authority chief executive Malcolm Snow said despite the NCA constraints and the fact the park is also on the heritage register, he didn’t want that to discourage people from pitching their best ideas.

“If some people thought [for example] that the trees are a barrier or perhaps need to be replaced with more appropriate species, then of course we’d receive those ideas,” he said.

“Things like the flagpole and some of the geometry of the plantings [would need to stay], those are all things that are well documented and need to be understood while not constraining people from coming up with fresh ideas.”

Some research will also need to be done with local Indigenous people into the cultural significance of the hill.

Once consultation is over, a report will be devised for the government to consider.

Mr Snow said while some ideas may need a lot of planning and design, others could be achieved in the short term, such as pathways, lighting issues and upgrading public seating.

“I think all of those small, potentially low-budget things could be done quite early,” he said.

But of course, the final vision for the park will come down to what funds are available.

“There’s not going to be hundreds of millions of dollars spent here, but I think some strategic investment could make it a place that isn’t just seen as a massive roundabout,” Mr Barr said.

And if it turns out people are happy for it to remain a thoroughfare, that’s OK, too.

“It might be that will be the extent of people’s interest, but I suspect that we can do a little more and at the very least improve the street furniture, having places where people can meet,” Mr Barr said.

A physical City Hill ideas exhibition will be established at the Civic Library during March, and a Discover City Hill Day will be held on 11 March. This will include a First Nations Walk on Country and tours with experts in landscape architecture, active travel and local heritage.

The community can draw or describe their ideas and submit them through the YourSay portal until 25 March.

The consultation will also inform the Canberra Civic and Cultural District and help the government understand the park’s role between the Acton Waterfront development, the Canberra Theatre Centre redevelopment and connecting light rail.