The Deakin Residents Association has received 1,600 Floriade bulbs for planting at the Deakin shops. The garden beds have been prepared, and we are ready for the main planting day.

Saturday 13 June
2:00 pm
Deakin Shops

Under the guidance of Jack and Jenny Gault, we will be planting the bulbs that will form this year’s spring display.

The 2023 display was widely admired and helped create a stronger sense of community in Deakin. Some photos of the 2023 display can be seen here: We hope this year’s planting will be equally successful.

If you can assist, please bring gardening gloves and a small hand trowel if you have one.

We have also been allocated annuals to plant between the bulbs. A second working bee has therefore been scheduled for Saturday 27 June, when we will plant the annuals and complete any remaining work.

To help with planning, please let us know if you expect to attend on either or both days.

The Deakin Residents Association invites residents and interested members of the public to join a second community walk to better understand the potential impacts of Light Rail Stage 2B on the Parliamentary Precinct.

While much public attention has focused on the proposed tunnel and “dog-leg” alignment on the eastern side of Parliament House, other aspects of the current proposal have received far less scrutiny. In particular, there are growing concerns about the proposed State Circle route on the western side of the Parliamentary Precinct.

The walk will include:

• A shorter return route of approximately 1.5 km to the area proposed for traffic lights at the top of Adelaide Avenue and associated tree loss near The Lodge
• An extended walk of approximately 3 km continuing around the Parliament House perimeter bushland

The DRA believes many Canberra residents remain unaware of the scale of the likely impacts. Participants in an earlier inspection walk were surprised to discover how much native bushland could be affected and the extent of bridge and engineering works likely to be required beneath Federation Mall and across State Circle.

Key concerns include:

• Impacts on heritage and environmental values within the Parliamentary Precinct
• Delays and increased travel times caused by traffic lights at the top of Adelaide Avenue and an additional set on State Circle
• The loss of trees and native bushland opposite The Lodge
• Damage to the circular bushland perimeter that was a defining feature of the original award-winning Parliament House design
• Major construction disruption in one of Canberra’s most important national landscapes

Recent ACT Government statements have heightened these concerns. In particular, proposals for “an inner-running track between Sydney and Adelaide Avenues to keep light rail off median strips” raise questions about whether tracks would pass directly through the nationally significant bushland perimeter surrounding Parliament House.

That landscape was not accidental. The bushland ring around Parliament House was a central element of the original design concept, intended to visually connect Capital Hill with the surrounding landscape and frame the national institutions within a natural setting. Any substantial intrusion into this perimeter deserves careful public examination.

The financial implications are also becoming harder to ignore. Stage 2B may ultimately cost in the order of $5 billion or more, driven by tunnelling, bridge reconstruction, a Lake Burley Griffin crossing and extensive modifications to existing infrastructure. This is very different from Stage 1, which was largely constructed on flat ground with limited bridge works. Every extension beyond Commonwealth Park becomes progressively more difficult and expensive.

The DRA strongly supports improved public transport and bikeways. However, we believe Canberra residents deserve a fuller understanding of the costs, impacts and alternatives before irreversible decisions are made about the Parliamentary Precinct.

The 2024 report 21st Century Public Transport Solutions for Canberra (available through the DRA website) examined a range of alternatives and questioned whether current technologies and travel patterns justify the enormous cost of Stage 2B. It also raised concerns about long-term ACT Government debt and whether emerging transport technologies — including fast door-to-door autonomous vehicles — may provide more flexible and cost-effective solutions.

In response to strong public interest, the DRA plans further inspection walks and hopes Federal and ACT politicians will attend. We would particularly welcome members of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories, including Senator David Pocock and committee chair Alicia Payne MP. Senator Katy Gallagher and relevant ACT Ministers would also be welcome to inspect the site directly.

The Committee has the capacity to inquire into matters affecting the Parliamentary Zone and amendments to the National Capital Plan. The DRA believes the proposed route and its impacts warrant such an inquiry.

Residents interested in participating in future walks or encouraging the Joint Standing Committee to seek a mandate for an inquiry are invited to register through the Deakin Residents Association website.

We hope you can join us. Please let us know via the link.

Federal Golf Club and its retirement village operator partner Mbark are inviting the community to participate in consultation regarding a proposal to remove the concessional status from a 6.9 hectare section of the Federal Golf Course.

Community consultation will take place from 18 May to 18 June 2026.

Residents are encouraged to attend one of the upcoming information sessions where proposal materials will be presented and representatives from Federal Golf Club and Mbark will be available to answer questions.

Consultation Sessions

• Online Session 1
  Tuesday 2 June 2026 – 6:30pm via Zoom
• Public Forum
  Wednesday 3 June 2026 – 7:00pm
  Hosted by Woden Valley Community Council via Zoom
• Online Session 2
  Thursday 4 June 2026 – 6:30pm via Zoom

Background information and plans relating to the proposal can be viewed at:
Active & Connected Consultation Website

To register your interest in attending a session, please email:
taniaparkes@taniaparkes.com.au
Please nominate which session you would like to attend and details will be sent to you.

Further Information

• Email: taniaparkes@taniaparkes.com.au
• Telephone: 1800 172 173

Community submissions can be made at any time during the consultation period by emailing:
community@fgc.com.au

Consultation closes on 18 June 2026.

For more information about Federal Golf Club visit:
Federal Golf Club

Alternatives to Light Rail Stages 1 and 2A were examined in the 2024 report 21st Century Public Transport Solutions for Canberra. At that time, the cost of Stage 2B was estimated at around $4 billion. DRA Vice President Dr John Bell, a co-author of the report, has since revisited those estimates.

Working with colleagues who have relevant engineering and infrastructure experience, the co-authors estimated the likely cost of Stage 2B by scaling up the per-metre construction costs of Stage 1 and adding allowances for major additional works such as bridges, culverts, utility relocations and other services. In several locations, existing bridges would need to be demolished and replaced. Estimates for new bridge construction were based on the costs of recently completed comparable structures. Additional allowances were also made for the engineering complexities associated with routing light rail around Parliament House and down Adelaide Avenue. The estimates included the cost of modifying trams to operate on batteries, as well as construction of the Woden tram/bus interchange.

Subsequent design changes have only increased the likely cost. For example, the proposed cut-and-cover tunnel from Commonwealth Avenue to State Circle alone could add more than $50 million and plus modification to bridges over Federation Mall. Even in 2024 there was considerable uncertainty about how costs would evolve over time. Since then, many construction costs have risen by more than 20 per cent.

Taking these changes into account, the likely cost of Stage 2B is now estimated to be around $5 billion. With the cost of Stage 2A already approaching $900 million, and likely to reach around $1 billion by completion, the combined cost of Stage 2A and 2B could therefore approach $6 billion.
The original 2024 report by Leon Arundell, John Bell, Kent Fitch, Russ Morison, Mike Quirk and Anthony Senti is available at 21st Century Public Transport Solutions for Canberra.

Deakin is growing, greening and getting active. This flyer brings together key updates and ways you can connect with your community throughout 2026.

Membership

Only a small percentage of Deakin residents are DRA members or on our mailing list. Help us grow by:

• Assisting with our upcoming letterbox drop.

• Encouraging your neighbors to join DRA.

Join the DRA Committee or Subcommittees

We’re actively seeking enthusiastic members, especially younger residents, to join our committee or subcommittees. If any of the issues above resonate with you, we’d love your involvement!

Social Media

DRA has a website, Facebook and Instagram pages. We need your help to create engaging content and grow our online presence. If you’re social media savvy, please contact George Wilson at president@deakinresidents.asn.au.

Questions, Queries or Feedback?

We’re here to help — contact secretary@deakin.asn.au

Annual Subscriptions

DRA’s annual membership subscription of $30

If you pay now in FY 2025-26 we will roll it over for 2026–27. Please support our efforts as all money goes back into the DRA inititives.

[Follow link to make a payment]

The Deakin Residents Association invites you to join a community walk to better understand the potential impacts of Light Rail Stage 2B on the Parliamentary Precinct.
Date: Sunday 26 April,
Starting point: Surveyors Hut. 10:00 am

(limited parking, with overflow in Forster Drive)

The walk will offer:

• a shorter return route of approximately 1.5 km to the area proposed for traffic lights at the top of Adelaide Avenue and associated tree loss near The Lodge
• an extended walk of approximately 3 km continuing around the Parliament House perimeter bushland

While there has been considerable attention on constraints along the eastern alignment, other aspects of the current proposal have received little scrutiny. There are concerns about the State Circle route, including impacts on:

• heritage and environment values within the Parliamentary Precinct
• potential increases in travel time
• delays due to traffic lights at the top of Adelaide Avenue and an additional set on State Circle
• the loss of trees and native bushland opposite The Lodge
  • damage to the circular bush perimeter that was a defining feature of the original design winning competitor

This walk will provide an opportunity to view these areas on the ground and to discuss the implications as planning progresses.

We hope you can join us. Please let us know via the link.

Site of proposed lights on Adelaide Ave

Pedal Power is working on a joint study with the University of Adelaide to study how cyclist visibility can impact driver behaviours! If you’re a regular commuter or cyclist, who rides more than 50km a week, and have an interest in improving road safety, they’d love to have you involved in the study. For more information, and to sign up, click here.

The Art Gallery development in Grey St Block:  13     Section:  49  DEAKIN Application Number 202443150 has been Approved Subject to Conditions. More details at the link. Some issues of particular relevance to DRA follow.

The approval is for demolition of the existing structures and driveway verge crossings, removal of trees, construction of a mixed use development comprising of two commercial tenancies, 45 dwellings, three levels of basement car parking, new driveway verge crossing, landscaping and associated works. 
The approval notes thar the site adjoins a school car parking area for Canberra Girls Grammar Junior School and fronts several residential zoned blocks on Grey Street. The site is located within close proximity to Deakin Shops and Adelaide Avenue, where a future light rail stop is proposed to be located. Given the site’s proximity to Adelaide Avenue, which is Designated Area, the subject block is also subject to special requirements under the National Capital Plan. The DA was referred to the National Capital Authority, who have conditionally supported the proposal. 

Also within close proximity to the subject block are the Ambassador Apartments, located at Block 20, Section 12 Deakin, which are of a similar scale to the proposal. The proposed uses for the site will be limited to those conditionally approved under Lease Variation DA 202240874

NATIONAL CAPITAL DESIGN REVIEW PANEL ADVICE AND THE PROPONENT’S RESPONSE – S186(L)

On 9 May 2023 the National Capital Design Review Panel (NCDRP) provided advice on the development proposal. The NCDRP’s advice and the proponent’s response was submitted as part of the application and was considered in the making of this decision.

In their advice the NCDRP provided advice relating to setbacks, appropriate landscaping and sustainability measures and removal of trees.

 The Panel also did not support proposed subterranean uses and queried the overall programming of the building that included deep set apartment units, internal habitable rooms with no access to natural light or natural cross ventilation, excessively long access corridors with no outlook at ends, poor internal layouts and poor pedestrian access across the proposal.

The applicant has responded to the concerns raised by the design review panel. Specifically, by providing further amendments to proposed landscaping and deep root planting, building setbacks, building height, the layout of residential units and associated hallways on each floor plate, floor to ceiling heights and providing details on privacy screening measures, traffic, and pedestrians movements. Subject to addressing conditions of approval, the applicant is considered to have suitably addressed all issues raised by the panel in their advice.

CONSTRUCTION PARKING

It is a condition of approval that a Temporary Traffic Management (TTM) be obtained from the Manager of Traffic Management & Safety, Roads ACT, CED prior to commencement of Works. This plan must be prepared by a suitably qualified person and address measures to be implemented during construction activities to manage all traffic. This includes construction and regular traffic in and around the site, provision of safe pedestrian movements, the provision of parking for construction workers, and associated temporary traffic control devices. For further information, please refer to http://www.cityservices.act.gov.au/guiding principles for TTMP and https://www.cityservices.act.gov.au/roads-and-paths/traffic/temporary-traffic-management.

TREE REMOVALS

The Delegate of the Conservator of Flora and Fauna advised the removal of regulated trees, particularly trees11-17, are not supported as they do not meet the approval criteria under the Urban Forest Act 2023. These proposed tree removals were subject to consideration by the Assessment and Environment Advisory Panel (AEAP). The panel supported the assessing officer’s recommendation that trees 9 and 17 could be supported for removal on planning grounds due to site constraints and subject to the lessee entering into a Canopy Contribution Agreement with the Conservator of Flora and Fauna in accordance with the Urban Forest Act 2023. The panel also agreed with the recommendation that trees 11-16 should be retained. Conditions havebeen imposed in Part 1 consistent with the outcomes of the AEAP process. CED-DCB, have assessed impacts to trees on unleased territory land and have conditionally supported the DA.

A condition of approval has been included in Part 1 of the Decision that an updated tree management plan be provided for trees to be protected on leased and unleased land.

CANOPY CONTRIBUTION REQUIREMENTS

Regulated tree 9 and 17 have been supported for removal under the Planning Act 2023, subject to the lessee entering into a Canopy Contribution Agreement (CCA)with the Conservator of Flora and Fauna (the Conservator) in accordance with the Urban Forest Act 2023. A separate condition has also been included in Part 1 of this Decision that the replanting schedule for the CCA must be to the satisfaction of the Conservator.

The gathering of DRA members and residents for sausage sizzle will go ahead in the Scout Hall at midday if the rain persists.

George Wilson
President
DRA

The ACT Government is considering an alternative location for Traction Power Substation 8 (TPS8) as part of Light Rail Stage 2B to Woden.
The initial site was the grassed area at the corner of Gunn Street and Guilfoyle Street, Yarralumla.

The new proposed location is the Denison Street car park in Deakin, opposite Deakin House.

The DRA is seeking further information about how this alternative site would integrate with the planned Molonglo Interchange and the Kent Street Station, including potential impacts on access, traffic, parking, visual amenity, and local businesses.

Residents and businesses are encouraged to attend one of the upcoming community information sessions:

Community Information Sessions

Session 1

• Date: Wednesday, 10 December 2025
• Time: 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm
• Location: Denison Street car park (Opposite Deakin House)

Session 2

• Date: Thursday, 11 December 2025
• Time: 8:00 am – 9:30 am
• Location: Denison Street car park (Opposite Deakin House)

The DRA will continue to follow this issue closely and engage with residents, neighbouring community groups, businesses, and relevant government agencies. Further updates will be posted as more information becomes available. More information about Stage 2 at https://www.act.gov.au/lightrailtowoden/stage-2b

If you would like to raise concerns or provide feedback, please contact the DRA at: vicepresident@deakinresidents.asn.au