Help shape our vision for Ginninderra
We are excited to be working with the community to create something unique at Ginninderra. With this in mind, we invite you to attend one of our upcoming drop-in sessions in August.
Our engagement with community groups, nearby residents and industry associations began in September 2015.
Our first round of engagement included three drop-in sessions at Gold Creek, Evatt and Charnwood and involved more than 220 people. The aim of this consultation was to ensure in particular that residents in suburbs adjacent to the site had an early opportunity to be aware of, and comment on, the proposal to change the use of the site.
Community engagement was strong and constructive, and covered a wide range of areas including housing, environment, traffic and community facilities, as documented in the Phase 1 Consultation Report.
This was only the beginning. Now we aim to involve more people and groups in the discussion about how we can design and work together for a liveable, sustainable and resilient urban area.
To continue our conversation, we will be holding further neighbourhood drop-in sessions in Evatt and Gold Creek later this month to provide community members with an opportunity to receive an update on the project and to ask any questions about plans for the site.
Session 1 – Evatt
Date: Thursday 25 August 2016
Time: 3:00pm to 6:30pm
Venue: Evatt Scout Hall
Address: Heydon Crescent, Evatt
Session 2 – Gold Creek (Nicholls)
Date: Saturday 27 August 2016
Time: 12:00pm to 4:00pm
Venue: The Abbey
Address: Gold Creek Village, Nicholls
There will also be the chance to provide general feedback about the project or particular issues identified.
If you can’t attend either session, but still want to provide feedback, please complete the online feedback form.
Many people have already taken the time to speak to us and provide their comments on the future of Ginninderra. Thank you for your valuable contribution.
Project update – July
Over the past month the project team has been continuing to engage with a range of conservation groups regarding the ecological and heritage values of the site. This included a half-day workshop on 27 June with several member groups of the Conservation Council, including representatives from Friends of Grasslands, Ginninderra Catchment Group, Mt Rogers Landcare Group, the Canberra Ornithological Group, as well as the Biodiversity Working Group within the Conservation Council.
The workshop was a follow-up to a site visit of the Ginninderra property that was conducted in early June, and provided an opportunity for the Ginninderra Project Team to discuss and seek feedback on the principles for conservation and development that will inform subsequent stages of the project.
This month, we have also made plans to continue our conversation with the broader community about the Ginninderra Project. As part of our ongoing engagement activities we will be holding neighbourhood drop-in sessions in Evatt and Gold Creek to provide community members with an opportunity to receive an update on the project and to ask any questions about plans for the site.
Session 1 – Evatt
Date: Thursday 25 August 2016
Time: 3:00pm to 6:30pm
Venue: Evatt Scout Hall
Address: Heydon Crescent, Evatt
Session 2 – Gold Creek (Nicholls)
Date: Saturday 27 August 2016
Time: 12:00pm to 4:00pm
Venue: The Abbey
Address: Gold Creek Village, Nicholls
At these events, you will be able to talk with our project team and contribute your ideas, helping to shape our vision for the property and the principles that will guide sustainable urban development.
There will also be the chance to provide general feedback about the project. If you can’t attend either session, but still want to provide feedback, please complete the online enquiry contact form.
In preparation for these upcoming drop-in sessions in August 2016, we are pleased to share a report on the initial community consultation that CSIRO undertook last year. The report outlines CSIRO’s approach to community consultation and the main issues and questions that the community raised.
The drop-in sessions scheduled for August 2016, are the next key opportunity for community input.
Canberra’s hidden reserve
View of Black Mountain at the southern end of the Ginninderra site.
The Ginninderra Field Station was established in 1958 as a site for agricultural research in anticipation of the closure of the Dickson Experiment Station to make way for urban development in that area, which eventually occurred in 1962.
The Ginninderra site is located in the northern area of ACT, surrounded by the suburbs of Gungahlin, Hall and Nicholls to the north, Giralang to the east, and Evatt, Spence and Fraser to the south.
While nearby residents know more, it’s an area many people have driven past every day and never realised what lay within.
Behind the unassuming ridges and rows of vegetation lies 701 hectares of grassy open space with 80 hectares of irrigated, arable land. The quality soil and water availability on the site has provided excellent opportunities to support CSIRO’s agricultural research effort.
There are three houses, a machinery shed, a workshop, a barn, shearing sheds and some scientific equipment and approximately 5,000 sheep on the property.
Australia is famous for its beautiful natural environment which is reflected throughout the site. A mixture of native grasses, Scribbly Gum woodland, Box-Gum woodland, Eucalypts and pines create the greenscape of the site.
A natural drainage system, Halls Creek, separates the upper and lower areas of the site. Surrounded by ridges and hills there are amazing views across to Belconnen Town Centre, Telstra Tower and the Brindabella’s from the highest points of the site.
Canberra is known for its ability to incorporate green spaces into the city. The future of the site will embody this, retaining green spaces, open reserves, and natural vegetation. Sitting within the north-eastern end of site lie two very special trees, Canberra’s oldest oaks. This unique part of the landscape will be preserved throughout the development.
The site is also home to native, endangered species including the Golden Sun Moth and Box-Gum woodland. Protecting the plants and creatures that call the Ginninderra lands home is integral to this project. Opportunities to improve the quality of woodlands and create natural reserves will arise throughout the course of the project.
A number of Aboriginal heritage locations have been identified on the site. When European settlement took place in the area homesteads were set up near the Ginninderra property. Nearby heritage listed sites include the Charnwood Homestead, the Palmerville (Ginninderra) Homestead and the Ginninderra Police Station. These sites are all important in better understanding Canberra’s early history and will be respected throughout the project.
Maps
Canberra CBD to Ginninderra Field Station
Downloadable maps
Canberra CBD to Ginninderra Field Station [PDF, 4MB]
Draft Concept Plan [PDF, 1MB]