More than 1,300 townhouses and multi-unit dwellings will be built in north Curtin, the ACT Government has announced, and the public can have their say on the design of the site.
The new neighbourhood will be next to Yarra Glen Drive, between Yarralumla and Curtin, and next to the planned light rail route to Woden.
Block 13 Section 121 Curtin, Block 1 Section 114 Yarralumla, and Block 1 Section 77 Deakin (the site) is an undeveloped site located in the Woden District, part of the Curtin Horse Paddocks.
The 13-hectare area is bounded by the Cotter Road overpass to the north, Yarra Glen to the east, Yarralumla Creek to the south running along the edge of Curtin, and the future Diplomatic Estate to the west. (The horse paddocks there were exchanged with the National Capital Authority for West Basin land in 2020.)
“North Curtin is changing from a horse paddock to a place for people, with new homes that will be close to transport, local services and places of employment,” said Chris Steel, ACT Minister for Planning.
A survey on the North Curtin Residential Area closes on 11 June.
“Before plans are developed for the site, we want to hear from the community about what is important in terms of urban design, landscape design, built form, access and design quality on the site,” Mr Steel said.
“With its location on a major transport corridor, this is a significant opportunity to develop a high-quality residential neighbourhood that is sustainable and vibrant with quality public streets and spaces.”
Community feedback will be used to develop both the draft Planning Conditions for the North Curtin Residential Area, which will be assess development applications for this site; and a broader Draft Southern Gateway Planning and Design Framework over the next two years, which will guide development along Canberra’s southern transport corridor from Woden to the City.
Mr Steel said the government will engage with the community “on the principles of growth and development of more housing, public spaces and infrastructure along the light rail 2B corridor, including Adelaide Avenue and Yarra Glen Drive”.
“Unlike buses, we know that light rail can unlock significant land-use benefits with opportunities for better connections to public transport, new housing, [and] commercial activity, as well as improvements to landscape, streets and public spaces.”
The City and Gateway Design Framework was established in 2018 in Canberra’s North ahead of the completion of light rail stage 1.
“We’re already seen the land-use benefits along the Northbourne corridor, and we want to work with the community to develop design guidance for the Southern corridor sot that we can maximise the benefits to the community,” Mr Steel said.
The Southern Gateway Planning and Design Framework will form part of the Minister’s Statement of Planning Priorities to bring transport planning and land-use planning together and supply more housing close to public-transport corridors and improve public places. It will be developed in consultation with the National Capital Authority.
The feedback from the North Curtin engagement will be lodged with the National Capital Authority towards the end of the financial year, before determining final planning controls. This will build on the principles laid out in the Woden District Strategy released in November.
A referral is also in progress with the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), to assess potential environmental impacts.
“Canberra’s population is set to grow to 500,000 by 2030, and the ACT Government is supporting the supply of new homes, particularly focused on areas close to transport and services, as well as investing in the infrastructure to support them,” Mr Steel said.
