A new playground for the inner north, upgraded shops, and a new waste facility are some of the projects city services minister Chris Steel announced this week as part of the ACT Government’s $16 million budget investment in suburban infrastructure – “the biggest upgrade to suburban facilities in Canberra’s history”.
A destination style playground and recreation park will be built in Watson, costing $2.6 million. The 22,000 square metre park, to be built near the shops and Majura Primary School, will feature climbing structures, nature and water play, as well as barbecues and toilets – all things the community said they wanted. Asphalt tennis courts at the site will be modernized. Until now, the inner north has lacked a large community destination play space, and Mr Steel expected the new park would attract people from all over Canberra.
Charnwood shops will be safer for visitors. Tree roots have lifted the pavement near the supermarket, but the government will spend $1 million to revitalise the pavement, as well as preserve London planetrees. (Some, unfortunately, were vandalised, and will be removed.) New methods will stop the roots from causing problems: deeper cells will give them space to grow underground rather than coming to the top, while permeable paving will allow roots to get water seeping through. Work will begin next year.
The government will spend $3.8 million to replace three timber bridges at the Umbagong District Park in Belconnen, which were closed early last year for safety. A new lookout will be built on one bridge.
West Belconnen will have a new green waste facility, costing $8.8 million. It will be a free drop-off for households and commercial businesses, Mr Steel said, to make there were waste facilities on the north side as well as the major facilities on the south in Mugga Lane.
The facility will be built on Stockdill Drive, near the Molonglo sewage works, three kilometres from the current facility on Parkwood Road in Holt. It will take 17,000 tonnes of green waste every year (the amount the Parkwood facility processes), but have room to expand.
The government states the facility will reduce the amount of material sent to landfill, and promote more beneficial reuse of through composting of both commercial and residential green waste.
The site is distant from residences, while relatively close to the community, Mr Steel said. Tight environmental controls around erosion and water runoff will stop sediment finding its way into the local creek.
The development application is open for public comment on the ACT Planning website until 20 July. Government will go out to tender before the end of the year, and construction will begin next year.
The government intends to build a new library and community centre for the Molonglo Region, in the Molonglo Commercial Centre. At the moment, Molonglo residents use the Belconnen or Woden libraries. The government will spend $200,000 to kickstart the co-design process. Mr Steel said they want to consult residents on what services and activities they want in the library.
The infrastructure program is well underway, Mr Steel said: new public space upgrades at the Kaleen shops will be finished next month, and construction work at the Duffy and Campbell shops will begin soon.
“This investment announced today is another part of the ACT Government’s plan to create and protect local jobs by delivering infrastructure that is built for Canberra and built to support the city Canberrans want in the future,” Chief Minister Andrew Barr said.
“Through the upcoming ACT Budget, the Government will continue to make significant investments to build Canberra’s future. The Budget will include even more investment into schools, hospitals, and the services and local infrastructure that Canberrans know and love.”
