At PTCBR, we often say that the best public transport system is one you do not have to think about. It’s there when you need it, and it takes you where you want to go.
But a truly great network is only as good as the city built around it. That’s why we need to ensure that homes, jobs and services are located right next to high-frequency stops. It also means making the walk to stops safe, pleasant and direct.
Over the past few months we have made five submissions to the ACT Government and private developers on the importance of properly integrating transport and land use planning.
Here is a wrap-up of our recent advocacy work and what it means for you.
Northern Gateway and Thoroughbred Park
If we are going to build Light Rail to Woden and beyond, we need to make sure as many Canberrans as possible can use it – which means placing homes, jobs and amenities near light rail stops.
We have offered conditional support for Draft Major Plan Amendment 09 (Northern Gateway) and Draft Major Plan Amendment 08 (Thoroughbred Park), but we believe the government needs to be much more ambitious.
Currently, the plans for the Northern Gateway in Downer and Watson restrict higher density to a thin strip along the Federal Highway. We consider this a significant missed opportunity, and our submission argues that the rezoning area should be expanded significantly. Data from the ACT Government’s document Light Rail Five Years On: Benefit Realisation Report 2024 shows people are willing to walk between 700 and 1,300 metres to access light rail, and we believe planning settings need to reflect and embrace this by expanding rezoning areas accordingly. We have also called for height limits to be revised to match the city-wide missing middle housing reforms.
Similarly: for Thoroughbred Park, we have told the government that if they wish to create a transport-oriented community, they need to plan properly for it. As with the Northern Gateway, we have recommended a revision to the height limits to locate more activity and more homes closer to public transport. We have also suggested tweaks to the planning rules to explicitly require “direct and convenient” connections to the Phillip Avenue and EPIC and Racecourse light rail stops.
Woden Town Centre Concept Masterplan
We were pleased to see Scentre Group’s ambitious Woden Town Centre Concept Masterplan released. This is a bold plan that has prompted important discussion in the Canberra community about the future of Woden. We see a lot of potential for it to deliver much-needed amenity to the area.
However, the glossy renders do not quite match reality when it comes to the new Woden Transport Interchange. Our submission pointed out that the masterplan incorrectly identifies the location of the new interchange and the future light rail terminus. The authors need to do a bit more research before proceeding with their plans to vary the Territory Plan.
We also need the walk between the bus interchange and Westfield to be comfortable in all weather. We have recommended the installation of retail colonnades, similar to those at the Parramatta Bus Station, along the main pedestrian routes to the new interchange. This would provide shelter from the elements without sacrificing the street trees that make our city beautiful.
Acton Waterfront Neighbourhood
The City Renewal Authority has an exciting vision for Acton Waterfront as a lively mixed-use neighbourhood connecting the City Centre to Lake Burley Griffin. Yet the current rules in the National Capital Plan, which date back to 2006, artificially cap this precinct at a suburban density.
We strongly support the move to amend these controls to allow for a precinct worthy of Canberra’s City Centre. Just as importantly, we need the connection between this new neighbourhood and the future Commonwealth Park light rail stop to be direct, safe and comfortable.
We are concerned about the potential for a private building to block the direct path from the Commonwealth Park light rail stop into the broader area. Our submission urges the City Renewal Authority to prioritise a legible, public-focused connection that puts pedestrian safety ahead of private vehicle throughput. The “mixed-use promenade” indicated in the plans also needs to be a place for people, rather than a shortcut for cars.
Northside Hospital Territory Priority Project Declaration
Finally, we have spotted a golden opportunity to fast-track a critical piece of public transport infrastructure.
The new Northside Hospital is a massive project. However, the Belconnen Transitway, which will give rapid buses their own lanes past the hospital, is currently facing an uncertain future – recently the ACT Transport Minister was unable to confirm that the project will be complete by the ACT Legislative Assembly’s deadline of October 2028.
In our submission to the Northside Hospital Territory Priority Project Declaration, we have argued that the Transitway should be included as “enabling works” for the hospital. By including the Haydon Drive road reserve in the project scope, we can give the project a leg-up and ensure that patients, staff and visitors have fast, congestion-free bus access from day one.
It’s an exciting time in Canberra, with lots of construction presently occurring and so much more on the horizon. We are committed as ever to advocating for excellent public transport access for all new builds, and scrutinising plans to ensure future projects are not creating conditions for excessive private vehicle traffic.