Project update – October
Off the back of the community drop-in-sessions we held at the end of August, we are pleased to be able to release the report that documents the feedback we received from the community.
The sessions were designed to build on the previous neighbourhood drop-in sessions held in September 2015.
174 people attended the two sessions at Evatt and Gold Creek with a variety of comments and questions raised by attendees.
In response to our four themed stations at the drop-in sessions, comments and questions provided on feedback forms included:
- Housing – 24 comments/questions.
- Community Facilities – 21 comments/ questions.
- Conservation – 19 comments/ questions.
- Roads and Transport – 8 comments/ questions
Further topics commented on through the feedback forms were:
- CSIRO’s consultation with the community – 5 comments/ questions
- Impact of urban development on residents of neighbouring suburbs – 4 comments/ questions
- CSIRO’s role in development at the Ginninderra Field Station site – 3 comments/ questions
- Other: International design competition (1 comment); Impact of development at Ginninderra on ACT electoral boundaries (1 question)
CSIRO is committed to taking on board the comments received in future planning and design processes.
We have updated the FAQ’s section of our website to answer all the questions that were asked by the community at both the drop-in-sessions, along with the continued questions we are receiving through the website and on Facebook.
We are continuing to meet with interested groups and organisations to discuss the project, and have been invited to present at the Belconnen Community Council meeting on Tuesday 18 October.
If you would like to discuss the community engagement report or any other aspect of the project with us, we invite you to contact us by either completing a feedback form, emailing the project team or engaging with us through our Facebook page.
Project update – September
Our focus this month was on community engagement, with two neighbourhood drop-in sessions held in Evatt and Gold Creek.
The purpose of these sessions was to seek targeted feedback and ideas about elements that were identified as important by the community in the first phase of engagement in September 2015.
These included housing, conservation, roads and transport, and community facilities.
Additional feedback at the August sessions covered topics including the community engagement process, the impact of future development on residents of surrounding suburbs, and CSIRO’s role in relation to planning.
Engagement by the community in these sessions was both strong and constructive, providing a wealth of ideas for further consideration in the planning process.
The sessions also confirmed the importance to the community of:
- Maintenance of a natural environment with green open spaces
- Linking the new area and existing suburbs and key natural features
- Attractive housing with a mix of block sizes, suited to the needs of people across a range of demographics
- Sustainable living embedded in the housing and other facilities
- A good range of community facilities and services within the development
- Improved traffic arrangements
Residents were also able to view the 701-hectare CSIRO property as captured from a series of locations using both 4k and 360 degree cameras mounted underneath a remotely piloted drone. The drone aerial survey led by a team from CSIRO Land and Water and Data61 has produced a visual record and basis for further planning and modelling of development and conservation at the site.
The latest drop-in sessions follow five years of preparation and investigation that led to the approval (in May 2016) for CSIRO’s Ginninderra Field Station to be classified as ‘Urban’ under Amendment 86 to the National Capital Plan.
As with all of our engagement with the community, we are committed to taking on board the comments received in future planning and design processes.
Feedback received from these sessions will be included in the briefing materials for the Request for Tender process to ensure that potential future development partners are mindful of the community’s expectations.
If you were unable to make it to the sessions, or have further comments or questions, we invite you to complete our community feedback form.
170 residents drop-in for 360 degree views of Ginninderra
Canberra residents took the opportunity to ‘fly’ over the drone-captured 360-degree landscape of CSIRO’s Ginninderra property while providing feedback at two community drop-in sessions on August 25 and 27.
The community drop-in sessions at Evatt and Gold Creek unearthed a wealth of ideas and views that will inform and influence the vision and early planning of CSIRO’s future sustainable development at the Ginninderra site.
More than 170 citizens took part in the sessions focused on providing updates, answering questions and gathering ideas to feed into the early planning stages.
Key topics discussed at these drop-in sessions corresponded with the four main areas of interest raised by the community at initial meetings in September 2015, which were: housing; roads and transport; community facilities; and conservation.
“As with our earlier meetings, the ideas and feedback from these drop-ins will be recorded in engagement reports that will help to further shape the vision, principles and concepts that in turn influence the more detailed planning to take place with anticipated joint venture development partner when we get to that stage.”
The latest drop-in sessions follow five years of preparation and investigation that led to the approval (in May 2016) for CSIRO’s Ginninderra Field Station to be classified as ‘Urban’ under Amendment (86) to the National Capital Plan.
