The Deakin Residents’ Association (DRA) warmly invites Deakin residents, friends and supporters to join us in celebrating Stage One of the Deakin Heritage project: Discovering and valuing Deakin’s heritage.
ACT Minister for Heritage, Rebecca Vassarotti MLA will unveil the first of two Canberra Tracks signs at the Deakin Shopping Centre on Sunday 28 April at a celebratory event beginning at 2pm.
A further sign will be unveiled in La Trobe Park at a later date.
The two Canberra Tracks signs will provide readily accessible heritage information to residents, tourists and other visitors to Deakin. There will be an online link through the signage to a groundbreaking and detailed history of Deakin prepared by historian Ann-Mari Jordens. Vivid photographic material and other fascinating heritage discoveries will also be provided via the link.
The DRA is keen to engage young people and local schools to encourage appreciation of Deakin’s distinctive, extensive and varied heritage.

We are delighted that the Principals of Canberra Girls Grammar School and The Woden School will attend and also speak about the histories of their schools. A highlight on the day will be a choral performance by The Gabriel Singers from Canberra Girls Grammar School.

The celebration on 28 April will also feature short presentations by the Chair of the Deakin Heritage Project Team and DRA Treasurer, Dr John Bell and historian Ann-Mari Jordens. The celebration will run from 2pm to 3.30 pm with formalities from 2.15 for around 35 minutes. The event is free and outdoors. If you require seating, please bring a folding chair.
The project and signage have been made possible through the ACT Heritage Grants program.

Subject to funding, the DRA plans a further stage involving additional signage in other Deakin locations, together with other heritage material, including a designated heritage trail map.
Contact and media enquiries can be made to Dr John Bell on 0438 732 953
This project is supported with funding made available by the ACT Government under the ACT Heritage Grants Program, Environment Planning & Sustainable Development Directorate.

The Deakin Residents’ Association was pleased to receive $14,780 funding from the ACT Government) to undertake a project under the ACT Heritage Grants program 2023-2024

The aim of the Deakin Heritage project is to document and describe heritage aspects of Deakin, emphasising its importance in the historical development and legacy of Canberra as the national capital based on Walter Burley Griffin’s designs and garden city principles. The project is planned in stages, with Stage One being to design and install two Canberra Tracks signs, one at the Deakin shops and one at La Trobe Park, describing the heritage aspects of Deakin. An historian has written a more detailed historical overview of the development of Deakin for the DRA website https://deakinresidents.asn.au/. This will be accessible via the Canberra Tracks app.

As an interim measure until professionally designed, the text of the overview is at link

Photos supporting the signs are at photos

The street names and history are streets

A report, “21^st Century public transport solutions for Canberra,” has been prepared by an independent group of citizens who believe that in this election year, Canberrans need to be fully informed of the cost to date of light rail and that there are better public transport alternatives available. The report analyses the costs and benefits of light rail in Canberra. It reviews the flawed decision making that led to the ACT Government investing in light rail.

“Bus rapid transit (BRT) is the obvious solution for rapid public transport on the stage 2B route. It offers cheaper, faster, more frequent and more adaptable transport than light rail,” the report says
said. “BRT requires fewer transfers between bus and/or light rail services, costs half as much, can be built more quickly, is twice as cost-effective, and will be at least ten minutes faster than light rail stage 2.”

The paper’s recommendations for the ACT include calls to:

• evaluate adopting a trackless tram system to replace light rail;
• cancel existing contracts and abandon work on light rail stage 2B;
• speed up replacing the bus fleet with electric vehicles;
• expand the number of transit lanes; and,
• seek funding Commonwealth funding for a trackless tram trial.

It shows that the actual cost of Light Rail Stage 1 is in excess of $1.78 billion, contrary to promises that it would cost only $614 million. It finds that the cost to date of Light Rail Stage 2A, originally estimated by the ACT Government at $268 million, is now more than $1.2 billion, making its 1.7 kms, one of the most expensive tram tracks in the world.

The report reserves its strongest criticism for Stage 2B – with a projected travel time that will be much longer than an express bus and will be many times the cost of other competitive transport systems such as electric buses and trackless trams.

The light rail currently proposed for Canberra will serve only a tiny percentage of the population. At rush hour, most passengers on a LR journey to/from Woden will need to stand while on buses, most passengers are provided with seats now.

The environmental impact of Canberra’s light rail will be greater than that of alternative systems because of the concrete and steel tracks. The trees in the centre of Commonwealth Avenue will have to go.

The report recommends light rail should be the subject of a public enquiry if the ACT Government persists with it because of its unsuitability to Canberra’s topography, its cost to Canberrans and the negative impact it is having on the ACT’s AAA credit rating.

A bridge capable of carrying more than 100 tonnes will be needed to get light rail across Lake Burley Griffin. Other major bridges will be needed to traverse into and out of State Circle, cross Hopetoun Avenue and navigate into Woden.

Electric buses are more efficient, can be deployed on a variety of routes and are emission free. Their introduction would not disrupt traffic.

The report concludes that light rail Stage 2B should not proceed.

The report is written by Leon Arundell, John Bell, Kent Fitch, Russ Morison, Mike Quirk and Anthony Senti. The Deakin Residents’ Association Committee has agreed to make the accessible to Canberrans from our website. Report can be downloaded from the link www. deakinresidents.asn.au  

Contact for media enquiries is Anthony Senti (0432 247 782) or John Bell (0438 732 953)

One of DRA’s core objectives is to maintain the garden suburb. Our efforts that were part of Floriade have been widely recognised as a success. We are therefore concerned with the trend to reduce the visual appearance and greenness of our suburb especially close to the shops in Hopetoun Circuit where there is flagrant violation of the regulations and codes designed to maintain nature strips. We strongly support the guidelines as set out by the ACT Government. Why are they not enforced?

We have reported the illegality to Fix my Street but it continues as regular occurrence with up to 10 vehicles parked on nature strip, construction of hard stand parking bays, erosion and degradation of vegetation, plus the operation of a commercial cleaning business complete with vans and vehicles from a residential home.
Questions have been raised In the Legislative Assembly on our behalf.
DRA would like to see nature strips that look this this.

The violations continue, see photos below.

DRA Floriade annuals continue into January 2024 due the rains. The tulips might have gone and we thought the annuals were finished but then with a wet Christmas they were rejuvenated.

The roundabaout flowers are also going well and we have planted small Agapanthas on the Buxton st roundabout.

Canberra’s storms on Friday night 8 December has moved to recovery mode. Transport Canberra and City Services (TCCS) specialist crews have been working their way through 500 jobs reported to their system and an additional 200 directions from the ACT SES.

A brittle gum Eucalyptus mannifera that came down across Stonehaven Cres was so large it couldn’t be readily moved. As with previous losses of street trees in Deakin, including on Stonehaven Cres it showed shallow roots. One suggestion is that this is result of short watering during establishment.

Deakin Residents’ Association Inc. was privileged to have Senator David Pocock as guest speaker before our Annual General Meeting Canberra Bridge Club, 22 November 2023

Senator Pocock presented a summary of his Vision for Canberra and spoke to its five pillars, 1. Housing, 2. Events, 3. Innovation,  4. Transport and 5. Sustainability. He encouraged attendees to support his push for more investment and long-term thinking for Canberra as Australia’s national capital. He said we could subscribe for updates using the form at the bottom of the homepage at visionforcanberra.com

He also referred to his role on the current inquiry by the Joint Standing Committee on National Capital and External Territories. Chaired by our local member Alicia Payne MP, it is examining ways to foster and promote the significance of Australia’s National Capital. Anyone who would like to be kept in the loop regarding the inquiry is encouraged to register at the link

The Senator then took questions from the floor on a range of topics from housing shortage,  enforcement of planning laws and the role of the Commonwealth.

Health Minister and Winnunga CEO speaking at ISCCC AGM/Public Forum 14 Nov 2023

The ISCCC welcomes you to join us at our Annual General Meeting and Public Forum on Tuesday, 14 November, at 7-9pm at the Eastlake Football Club. Please register to attend at:

https://www.trybooking.com/eventlist?aid=178021

At the ISCCC’s AGM, held 7-8pm, we will report on the ISCCC’s work and hold elections for ISCCC committee positions. We welcome nominations for committee positions. The draft agenda, the roles for which elections will be held, and the nomination form are at:

Join us at ISCCC AGM and Public Forum

From 8-9pm, the ISCCC is delighted that we will have two speakers on health-related issues. The ACT Minister for Health, Rachel Stephen-Smith MLA, will provide information and answer questions about the proposed walk-in health centre in Griffith. The CEO of the Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services, Julie Tongs OAM, will speak about the work of Winnunga, which is based in neighbouring Narrabundah.

Summary Record and Presentations made at ISCCC Public Forum, 10 Oct 2023

See the record of the ISCCC’s 10 October public forum and speakers’ presentations at:

Record of Public Forum 10 October 2023

Estate Development Plan for Canberra Brickworks available for comment until 17 November

The Estate Development Plan for the Canberra Brickworks has been released for community comment until 17 November. The EDP can be accessed via the link below:

https://www.planning.act.gov.au/development-applications-assessments/development-applications/da-details?da-number=202341982&amendment-version=

ACT Government training on new planning system

The Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate is delivering training on the new planning system up until the commencement of the new planning system in late November 2023 and beyond:

https://www.planning.act.gov.au/planning-our-city/planning-system/training-education

Update on Kingston Arts Precinct (KAP)

Conservation Management Plans (CMPs) have been approved for the Kingston Powerhouse Historic Precinct, Former Transport Depot Kingston, and John Fowler Road Locomotive 16161. See: https://yoursayconversations.act.gov.au/kingston-arts-precinct. Further engineering and planning review of carparking requirements has been undertaken, as well as a review of mixed use possibilities. The next community engagement will be held at the end of November 2023.

ACT Government’s Environment and Planning Update

https://www.planning.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/2311598/epf-update-october-2023.pdf

In addition, the annual report of the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development (EPSDD) Directorate has been released.

https://www.planning.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/2296706/2022-23-epsdd-annual-report.pdf

Marea Fatseas
ISCCC Chair