Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan - NOVEMBER 2014

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Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan - NOVEMBER 2014
Woden Town Centre
     Draft Master Plan

          NOVEMBER 2014
Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan - NOVEMBER 2014
Have your say
The Environment and Planning Directorate (EPD)
welcomes comments on this draft master plan.
You can make comments on the Woden Town Centre
Draft Master Plan:
Visit: 		   www.act.gov.au/wodenandmawson
Email:      Woden@act.gov.au
Post: 		Woden master plan
          PO Box 158, Canberra, ACT 2601.
Comments can be made until 23 February 2015
All comments will be taken into consideration
when revising the master plan. The master plan is
anticipated for consideration by the ACT Government
in mid 2015. If adopted, implementation of the master
plan can commence.

© Australian Capital Territory, Canberra 2014
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced
by any process without written permission from: Director-General, Environment and Planning Directorate,
ACT Government, GPO Box 158, Canberra, ACT 2601.
Telephone: 02 6207 1923			        Website: www.environment.act.gov.au		               Printed on recycled paper
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Before making a submission to this discussion paper, please review the Environment and Planning Directorate’s
privacy policy and annex at www.environment.act.gov.au/about/privacy . Any personal information received
in the course of your submission will be used only for the purposes of this community engagement process.
Names of organisations may be included in any subsequent consultation report, but all individuals will be de-
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Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan - NOVEMBER 2014
Contents

Definitions                              ii   4. Challenges and opportunities                       47
                                                 4.1 Challenges                                     47
Executive summary                       1
                                                 4.2 Opportunities                                  51
1. Introduction                         3
                                              5. The master plan                                    55
    1.1 Study area                      3
                                                  5.1 Master plan structure                         55
    1.2 Block and section map           7
                                                  5.2 Vision		                                      55
    1.3 Importance of the master plan   7
                                                  5.3 Character statement                           55
    1.4 Master plan process             8
                                                  5.4 Planning principles                           56
2. Planning context                     11        5.5 Spatial framework                             61
   2.1 Strategic planning               11        5.6 Planning strategies                           62
   2.2. Statutory planning              12
                                              6. Recommendations for implementation                 83
   2.3 Spatial context                  14
                                                 6.1 The process of change                          83
   2.4 Planning history                 16
                                                 6.2 Territory Plan Variation                       83
3 Background and analysis               21       6.3 Land release                                   83
  3.1 Community engagement              21       6.4 Public domain upgrades                         83
  3.2 Character and heritage            21       6.5 Commercial opportunities                       83
  3.3 Demographics                      23       6.6 Further studies                                83
  3.4 Land use                          24
  3.5 Transport and movement            30
  3.6 Public domain                     35
  3.7 Building design and height        38
  3.8 Public safety                     40
  3.9 Athllon Drive                     40
  3.10 Yarralumla Creek                 42
  3.11 Environmental sustainability     44

                                                                              planning.act.gov.au        i
Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan - NOVEMBER 2014
Definitions
Active frontages occur when people can interact            Shared zone/shared spaces is a road or place where
between the buildings and the streets and public           the road space is shared safely by vehicles, cyclists
spaces, such as shop fronts, building entrances and        and pedestrians.
transparent building facades.                              Surveillance or passive surveillance is the ‘eyes on
Active uses are uses that generate activity at the         the street’ from residents and people going about
ground floor, including cafes, shop fronts and             their daily activities. This creates a sense of safety
building entrances.                                        for streets and public spaces.
Active travel is travel that involves physical activity,   Transit-oriented development is the creation of
such as walking and cycling. Active travel can also        compact, walkable development located around
include the walking and/or cycling involved when           high quality public transit systems.
using public transport.                                    Urban grain is the street pattern, size and
Built form relates to the buildings, associated            distribution of blocks, scale of buildings and their
structures and surrounding public spaces.                  relationship to each other. Urban grain includes
Human scale reflects a sympathetic proportional            the hierarchy of street, the pedestrian connections,
relationship between the built form and human              public places and linkages to public transport.
dimensions where people are not overwhelmed                Visual cues are elements in the public domain that
by the built form. Human scale contributes to a            contribute to a person’s understanding of a place.
person’s perception of buildings or other features in      For example, buildings may gradually get taller as
the public domain. It is typically referred to when        you travel closer to the town centre, providing an
discussing the bulk and scale of development.              understanding that you are approaching a major
Mixed use development includes a mix of                    centre.
complementary land uses such as restaurants and            Water sensitive urban design is the planning,
small shops at ground level and residences above.          design or construction of the built environment
Mixed uses can be horizontal or vertical.                  to minimise water runoff and ensure any runoff
Podium or building base is the lower storeys of a          causes the least amount of damage. It is also
tall building that passersby see and interact with.        about wise use of that water to improve our urban
It is designed to present an appropriate human scale       environment.
to the streets and public spaces. Podiums can be           Wind shear refers to the potential for down
used to transition down to lower-scale buildings, and      draughts from taller buildings or accelerated winds
minimise the impact of parking and servicing areas.        from tunnelling between buildings onto public spaces.
Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan - NOVEMBER 2014
Shops facing on to Corinna Street

                                    planning.act.gov.au   iii
Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan - NOVEMBER 2014
A view from Town Park, towards Lovett Tower

       iv   Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan
Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan - NOVEMBER 2014
Executive summary
The ACT Government has prepared draft master             identity of the centre, make the centre more accessible
plans for Woden town centre, Mawson group centre         for sustainable modes of travel, provide housing choice
and the Athllon Drive corridor between the two           for the Woden Valley and strengthen the centre’s role
centres. While both centres have been considered         as a place to work, shop, live and play.
together in the first stage of the master plan
process, two draft master plans have been prepared       The planning directions for the Phillip service trades
as each area has its own community interests,            precinct from the 2004 master plan are reinforced
characteristics, opportunities and challenges.           in this draft master plan. A mix of uses, including
                                                         residential, is encouraged. Residential use is limited
The draft master plan for Woden town centre (the         to the central areas to ensure the precinct can
centre) includes a review of the 2004 Woden Town         continue to provide important trade services.
Centre Master Plan to provide a new vision, planning
principles, spatial framework, planning strategies       The draft master plan identifies longer-term
and policies. The new directions in the draft master     opportunities for the Athllon Drive corridor to
plan respond to the current development pressures        introduce medium density residential development
and consider the strategic planning directions and       and new recreation opportunities that will be
policies, background analysis, and community             integrated with improvements to Yarralumla Creek.
and stakeholder engagement activities that were          Residents living in this corridor will be able to take
undertaken as part of the master plan process.           advantage of a connected cycle and pedestrian
                                                         network to easily and safely access the centre and
The 2004 master plan identified a number of issues,      use rapid transport.
some of which still remain. Access into the centre,
access to community facilities, lack of activity onto    The draft master plan builds on the centre’s strengths
the streets and quality of the public domain were        and seeks to improve the opportunities for social
consistently raised as issues for the centre.            interaction, liveability for residents, accessibility and
                                                         quality of the streets and public spaces.
The centre is entering a new phase of development
with a number of government initiatives and private      The draft master plan provides a new vision for the
developments underway or being planned.                  centre:
The bus interchange improvements, together with          Woden town centre is a major community
the possible expansion of the Woden Plaza, offer new     and commercial hub for the Woden Valley
opportunities to better integrate public transport       and wider Canberra region. It will be a place
with the cycle and pedestrian networks. Planning         that attracts people to live, work, socialise
for the existing community centre and CIT campus         and enjoy throughout the day and evenings.
could move the focus of community activities from        The town square is the central focal point
the western side of the centre close to the new bus      for social and community activity that will
station. Additionally, residential development being     connect people to a network of safe and
planned by the private sector on the western and         active streets and public parks.
eastern edges of the centre will bring more people       Eleven planning strategies are recommended with a
into the centre outside of the usual working week.       focus on:
The centre is a major employment hub, with the           • sustainability
Commonwealth Government and retail sector                • future built form and character
being the largest employees. This draft master
plan identifies the need to retain land for large        • transport and movement
employment providers for the long term and will          • car parking
provide opportunity for redevelopment to occur as        • activating the public domain
circumstances change.
                                                         • future office and employment opportunities
Several opportunities are identified in this draft       • access to community facilities, sport and
master plan to look at capitalising on the centre as a     recreation, and
metropolitan hub for Canberra, enhance the street and
open space networks, improve the urban design and        • town centre living.

                                                                                            planning.act.gov.au   1
Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan - NOVEMBER 2014
Callam offices

       2     Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan
Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan - NOVEMBER 2014
1.      Introduction
In 2004, the ACT Government released a master           1.1 Study area
plan for the Woden town centre (the centre) that
analysed a series of planning considerations and        The study area for the review of the 2004 Woden
made recommendations to guide the future growth         Town Centre Master Plan is illustrated by the dashed
of the centre.                                          blue line in Figure 2. The study area is located in
                                                        the suburb of Phillip and bound by Melrose Drive,
Since then, a number of recommendations from the        Athllon Drive, Hindmarsh Drive and Yamba Drive.
2004 master plan have been realised such as the
new police station, upgrades to the Phillip enclosed    The study area includes Woden town centre, Phillip
oval and sale of land for a structured car park on      service trades area, Athllon Drive corridor and the
the western side of the centre. Changes to the bus      recreation precinct north of Launceston Street.
interchange are also now being planned.                 It includes the eastern edge of the centre,
                                                        containing Eddison Park, Woden Cemetery, Phillip
In 2012, key strategic planning documents for the       ovals, residential development and Canberra
ACT were introduced including the ACT Planning          Institute of Technology (CIT). The Canberra Hospital
Strategy, Transport for Canberra and AP2: A New         is not included, but is an important consideration as
Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan for the         it is a large employment base at the eastern edge of
ACT. The ACT Planning Strategy encourages a more        the study area and provides important services for
compact city by focusing urban intensification in       the Canberra community.
town centres, around group centres and along the
major public transport routes. The ACT Planning         In 2013, the population of the Woden Valley was
Strategy identified Woden town centre and               34,657 and Phillip was 2,188. Most Phillip residents
Mawson group centre for investigation for urban         reside in Swinger Hill. Compared to the ACT
intensification in association with the Athllon Drive   population, Woden Valley is under represented in
rapid transit corridor.                                 the 15 to 44 year age groups and over represented in
                                                        the 55 years and over age groups. However, in Phillip
In February 2014, the ACT Government released a         (including the Woden town centre) the population is
discussion paper outlining some of the key planning     skewed towards the 20 to 39 year age groups.
issues for both centres to help generate discussion
and draw out the community’s concerns and ideas.        The centre has a significant employment base
                                                        within the ACT, with Commonwealth departments
The Woden town centre and Mawson group centre           and retail being the largest employers. The centre
were considered together to allow comprehensive         has a number of important community, education
analysis of a diverse range of strategic planning       and recreation uses including Woden Community
issues and the relationships between the two            Services, child care facilities, health-related facilities,
centres. Figures 1 and 2 illustrate the master plan     Woden Library, Canberra College, CIT, Eddison Park,
study areas.                                            pocket parks and ovals.
Two draft master plans have been prepared               Unlike other town centres in the ACT, Woden town
because each area has its own community interests,      centre does not have a large water feature such as
characteristics and challenges.                         a lake. However, the centre benefits from parkland
                                                        setting in the east of the town centre with Eddison
This Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan provides       Park, Woden Cemetery and the Phillip ovals.
a review of the 2004 master plan and recommends         Yarralumla Creek, which runs along Athllon Drive and
a new vision, spatial framework, planning strategies    Callam Street, also has the opportunity to provide an
and recommendations that respond to the                 interesting focal point as the centre grows.
development pressures experienced in the centre.
This is based on the background analysis and initial    Lovett Tower is the tallest building in the centre
community engagement activities undertaken as           and can be seen from several vantage points
part of the master plan process.                        in Canberra, including Red Hill lookout and the
                                                        National Arboretum.

                                                                                            planning.act.gov.au   3
Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan - NOVEMBER 2014
Figure 1: The Woden and Mawson master plan study areas

                                                                             HUGHES

                                                              Ya
                                                                 mba
                                                Phillip
                                                                       Dr
              LYONS                              Oval                      ive

                                                                 Eddison Park                                       GARRAN

                                            Woden Town
                                              Centre

                                               Westfield                                                   The Canberra
                                                                                                             Hospital
                                                                                          CIT
                                                                                       Hind
                                                                                           mar
                                                                                                sh D
                                                                                                    rive
     CHIFLEY                                           Phillip
                                                      Service                          SWINGER HILL
                                                      Trades                             (PHILLIP)
                                                        Area
                                                                                                                    O’MALLEY
                                                                       Athllon Drive

                                            PEARCE

                                                                                 Mawson                MAWSON
                                                                                  Group
                                                                                 Centre

                                                           TORRENS

      metres 0   100 200 300 400 500

4     Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan
Figure 2: The Woden Town Centre Master Plan study area

                                                                                        HUGHES

    LYONS

                               Phillip                       Ya
                                Oval                            m         ba
                                                                                       Dr
                                                                                         ive
                                                          Eddison Park                                            GARRAN

              Woden Town
                                          Callam Str

                Centre
                                                                              Woden
                                                                             Cemetery
                                                    eet

                                                                                                                               The Canberra
                                                                                                                                 Hospital
             Melro
              se Dr

                             Westfield
                ive

                                                                                                      CIT

                                                                                                       Hind
                                                                                                            mar
                                                                                                               sh D
                                                                                                                   rive
   CHIFLEY                                                                                     SWINGER HILL
                                          Phillip                                                (PHILLIP)
                                         Service
                                         Trades
                                           Area
                                                              Athllon Drive Corridor

                                                                                                    MAWSON
                     PEARCE

  metres 0     100     200    300   400        500

                                                                                                                          planning.act.gov.au   5
Figure 3: Block and Section Map

                                                             12                                                                                                       LEGEND
                                                        11
                                                                                                                       HUGHES                                                       Section boundary
                                                        10             9
              CURTIN                              24                                                                                                                   10           Section number
                                                           15
                                         3
                                                   8       13                             4
                                                                                                                                                                                    Block boundary
                                1                            4                                                                                                          10          Block number
                                                 104
                          22                 1                                                                                              Ya
                          2                                                 8                  79                                   1          m        ba
                                3                       23                                     7                                2
                                                                                                                                                             Dr
                  13
                          16    2 18
                                     14
                                                             13
                                                                                                                                111                            ive
                                17
                                         Lau                                68
                 15
                      3                           nce
                                                                                     Street
                                                                           3
                                    41                 ston        8       32
                 16
                                                                                          27 28                        3    176
                                                        22                      7
                                             66 34        6 21                                    18
                                                                                 15                                                          113
                  10                88
                                                        119 8                                  31
                                                                                                 30
                                                                                                                                        1                         8
                                                   7
                                             82
                                                                    80               33                                                                               131
                             49       38 62
                     9            8    81        7 1
                                                                   29                                                                                                                            1
                       8        50   80       59            34                                                                                                                      5
                               51 77 58
                                                                      36
                                                                                                                      134                                                                                 2
                                 52       68     5           24 35             1                                                                    1
                                                              160
                                                                                 Callam

                17             85         23           4
                                     1
                                              171 135
                  19                                                   21
                     11
                           27 84 54
                                      20
                                        1                      23                                                                             109
                 20             86                                    12                                                                                                        6
                 12 8 21 6                                      7        13
                                                                6 81
                                                                                                                                                                            7                         6
                                                                                     Street

     LYONS         1 12
                                          2
                                                     64                                                                                                  166             31
                                                                                                                                                                             5               1       132
                     4 5
                         7
                                                                        16 17                                                                                   29      30
                                                                                                                                                                           159
                                                          34                                                                                        10 5 11                                                           3
                                                     1 2                                                                                             6      4             32 4
                                            3 8                                                                            177                 7              3
                         8        13                  10
                                                         19       10
                                                                            12                                              2               8         4        2 33
                                                                                                                                                                                3                         13
                                   2                                                                                                             3 165 5 1
                         19                  4                                      19                                                     9                         2                   12
                            12                         6
                                                                                                        156                                       2 1 6            2
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   14 15
                          4 13                               17
                                                                                                                                            1634 164
                                                                                 11       14                                                               1 3
                                                                                                                                         18
                             14          105 2          10
                                                             7                                         15        18                                   1        4
                             15                                                                                                          17         5 3 2
                                                                                                                                                                 65
                                                                                                                                                                                                               1
                                15 17                                      3        18                            19
                                                                                                                                              16
                                                                                                                                        26 158 22              87                       17
                                                                 5 4            11             12
                          Melro

                                                  18                                                                                                            9
                                                                                                                       20                       23      21 10
                                                                                                                                                           20                                                  16          1
                                                     25 26   21 24
                                                                                                                                                                       Hind
                              se Dr

                                                              17
                                         25      7     8                               7
                                            20
                                                                     2
                                                                         3                                                                                                      mar
                                                    1 1011 2
                                                   43 1213 44 261      PHILLIP
                                                                                   10
                                                                                                                                                                                             sh D
                               ive

                                          19
                                              18         1415
                                                                            2714 15 3
                                                                                                                                                                                                      rive
                                                      1 16
                                             22 23 42                   10 1213         53
                                                             14        1 11                 13
                                                                             5 45
                                                     12 13      15   1             4
           CHIFLEY                               18              40    46           6
                                                                            2 4 5 7 12 14
                                                                                          30
                                                         1 41
                                                  20           3    1    1 3
                                                            5     2
                                                   28 7 6 4 1                   47 1            8
                                                               39                       6 33
                                                                                2 45 7
                                                                                   3           6
                                                                  17 19 1
                                                     23 13 1516 18                   484
                                                              14           112 5 8
                                                      29 4385 37 1 2 334 9 54                     9
                                                                      3   1      1
                                                                  5
                                                         24 7 6 4 2
                                                                            1      1 50 15 31                                                                     MAWSON
                                                                      36                 5 3 14
                                                                                    12 13 4         8
                                                           20                 9
                                                            3214 135 67 8               107  3
                                                                                                                                    Athllon Drive

                                                                                      2
                                                                     2 106
                                                                                3
                                                              19                           14 39 41
                                                                                      6     21     27
                                                                               19            22
                                                                                      10
                                         PEARCE                          7
                                                                                                    32
                                                                                                       49
                                                                                                   25 31 37 38        33

      BLOCK AND SECTION MAP

6      Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan
1.2 Block and section map                                            The master plan is a non-statutory planning
                                                                     document. However, once endorsed by the ACT
Blocks and sections are referred to in this document.
                                                                     Government, it will be translated into a precinct
Figure 3 provides a quick reference to help the reader
                                                                     code to be incorporated into the Territory Plan, the
identify blocks and sections within the study area.
                                                                     key statutory planning framework in the ACT.
                                                                     The draft master plan responds to broader strategic
1.3 Importance of the master plan                                    planning policies for the ACT and background
A master plan defines what is important about a                      analysis on issues and opportunities in the centre.
place and identifies opportunities for preserving and                In the first stage of the master plan process the
enhancing the quality of that place.                                 Environment and Planning Directorate consulted,
                                                                     in particular with Woden Valley residents, local
This master plan provides a vision, a spatial                        businesses, community groups, ACT Government
framework and strategies to guide the development                    agencies and private interest groups. Background
of the Woden town centre over the next 20+ years.                    analysis and community engagement processes
                                                                     helped to identify priorities for improving the centre,
                                                                     which informed this draft master plan.

 View of Woden town centre looking south. Image courtesy of CMTEDD

                                                                                                       planning.act.gov.au   7
1.4 Master plan process                                    Figure 4: Master plan process
The master plan process includes three main                                                                                Master Plan Process
stages as illustrated in Figure 4 with opportunities
for stakeholders and the public to provide input in
Stages 1 and 2 of the master plan process.                                                                                      Background
The process commenced with Stage 1 and involved                                                                              analysis and scope
                                                                                                                                  project
gathering and analysis of information, including
community engagement, to help inform the

                                                          Stage 1
preparation of this draft master plan.
The draft master plan represents Stage 2 of the
process. Feedback on this draft master plan is                                                                               Project launch and
sought from stakeholders and the community.                                                                                   discussion paper.

                                                                       Engagement with key stakeholders and directorates
Feedback will be used to inform Stage 3, the                                                                                   Seek community
development of the final master plan for                                                                                      input for 6 weeks
government consideration.
Implementation of the master plan may include land
release, capital works (subject to future budgets)
and new planning controls in the form of a precinct                                                                            Prepare draft

                                                                                                                                                  Preparation of draft Precinct Code and variation to the Territory Plan
code in the Territory Plan. Figure 4 shows how the                                                                             Master Plan
preparation of a precinct code can run concurrently
                                                          Stage 2

with the master planning process.

1.4.1 Community engagement                                                                                                      Community
The master plan process includes community                                                                                    engagement on
engagement with a number of stakeholders at key                                                                              draft Master Plan,
stages of the master planning process. Community                                                                             planning controls
engagement forms a critical part of the analysis in the                                                                         for 6 weeks
early stages of the master planning process and in
refining recommendations in the draft master plan.
                                                                                                                                Prepare final
The background and analysis section of this draft                                                                                Master Plan
master plan and the Community Engagement                                                                                     considering input
Report – Stage 1 provide details of how community                                                                            from stakeholders
                                                          Stage 3

                                                                                                                               and community
engagement has been undertaken and a summary
of messages heard from the first stage of community
engagement. The engagement report can be found
at: www.act.gov.au/wodenandmawson
                                                                                                                             Final Master Plan

                                                                                                                             Implementation
                                                                    Land release sequence, renew Precinct Code, possible
                                                                      capital works for consideration in future budgets

8   Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan
‘Meet the planners’ session in Woden Plaza, design ideas and lessee and traders workshop

                                                                                           planning.act.gov.au   9
Pedestrian spine and office core area

       10    Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan
2.      Planning context

2.1 Strategic planning                                    2.1.3 Climate change action plan
The draft master plan is a strategic policy document      AP2: A New Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan
that seeks to translate the ACT Government’s              for the ACT (2012) is the ACT Government’s strategic
broader metropolitan policies at a local level.           policy on climate change. AP2 guides the Territory’s
The following section outlines the policy context         strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40%
that applies to the Woden town centre.                    of 1990 levels by 2020 and to transition the ACT to
                                                          zero net emissions by 2060.
2.1.1 ACT Planning Strategy                               AP2 provides a pathway to achieve emission
The ACT Planning Strategy (2012) responds to              reductions through energy efficiency and increased
the changes in ACT’s economic, demographic                use of renewable energy. It also identifies
and environmental circumstances. The strategy             opportunities for improved environmental
outlines a series of directions that will create a more   performance of buildings and infrastructure.
sustainable city:
                                                          The projections for the ACT and region are for an
• focusing urban intensification in town centres and      increasingly hotter and drier climate with more
  group centres supported by public transport to          extreme weather events. Since 2009 the ACT
  improve the vibrancy of centres                         Government has been taking mitigation actions and
• improving the urban quality and liveability of          assisting the community to increase its resilience.
  Canberra
• managing the land and natural resources of
  the area to conserve where appropriate and to
  manage growth to ensure a prosperous region              Figure 5: ACT Planning Strategy focuses growth
                                                           in town centres, around group centres and along
• supporting convenient access to a range of               transport corridors.
  facilities, services and opportunities for social
  interaction by reinforcing the role of group centres
  as community hubs.
Strategy 1 is of particular relevance to this process
and promotes a more compact and efficient city
by focussing urban growth in town centres, around
group centres and along main transit corridors, as
illustrated in Figure 5.

2.1.2 Transport for Canberra
Transport for Canberra is a companion policy to the
ACT Planning Strategy (2012). It seeks to intergrate
urban planning and transport to improve services
in Canberra over the next 20 years. Key policy
directions include:
• integrating land use and transport through the
  Frequent Network of public transit corridors
• making walking and cycling the easiest travel
  options to encourage active travel, and
• strategically managing the road network and
  parking.

                                                                                          planning.act.gov.au   11
Examples of significant mitigation measures are:        2.2. Statutory planning
• legislating emission reduction targets for the ACT
                                                        2.2.1. National Capital Plan
  in 2010: zero by 2060; 80% by 2050; 40% by 2020
  (based on 1990 levels)                                The National Capital Plan is the strategic plan for
                                                        the ACT that is managed by the National Capital
• investing in renewable energy sources (solar and      Authority. It ensures that Canberra and the Territory
  wind) to meet the ACT’s renewable energy target       are planned and developed in accordance with their
  of 90% by 2020 (introduced in 2013)                   national significance.
• introducing the Energy Efficiency Improvement
  Scheme obliging ACT electricity retailers to help     The National Capital Plan includes ‘designated’
  customers save energy                                 areas, which are areas considered to be of national
                                                        importance and include the central national area,
• adopting the Carbon Neutral ACT Government            national institutions, diplomatic areas, Lake Burley
  Framework with its target of zero net operational     Griffin, approach routes to the city and hills, ridges
  emissions by 2020, and                                and buffers. While there is no designated land
• investing in public transport, including Capital      within the master plan study area, the Woden Valley
  Metro light rail, and improving the cycle and         has large areas, such as the hills, ridges and buffers
  pedestrian networks.                                  that separate Woden Valley from other districts.
                                                        There is also designated land within the suburb of
2.1.4 ACT water strategy                                O’Malley to the south-east of the study area.
The ACT Water Strategy 2014–44: Striking the
Balance was endorsed by the ACT Government in           2.2.2 Territory Plan
July 2014. The strategy incorporates three themes       The Territory Plan is the key statutory planning
and a detailed implementation plan. It will guide the   document in the ACT, providing the policy framework
management of the Territory’s water supply, water       for the administration of land use and planning in the
resources and catchment practices over the next 30      ACT. The purpose of the Territory Plan is to manage
years. It builds on the original ACT Water Strategy,    land use change in a manner consistent with strategic
Think Water, Act Water. While the emphasis on the       directions set by the ACT Government, Legislative
original strategy was on water security following       Assembly and the community.
the 2003 bushfires and the Millennium Drought,
                                                        Woden town centre is mostly zoned as commercial
the new strategy will also focus on improved water
                                                        CZ1, CZ2 and CZ3 as shown in Figure 6. Land along
quality in lakes and streams and greater community
                                                        Athllon Drive is mostly zoned as residential
participation in a number of key components, such
                                                        (RZ2: Suburban Core), with open space (PRZ1: Urban
as improving catchment health.
                                                        Open Space) directly north of Mawson group centre.
                                                        Key community uses have community facility zoning
                                                        (CFZ: Community Facility).
                                                        A Territory Plan variation is a likely outcome of the
                                                        master plan. The variation will implement a new
                                                        precinct code into the Territory Plan to update
                                                        the current Phillip Precinct Code. A precinct code
                                                        outlines place-specific planning controls such as
                                                        land use, building heights, building design elements,
                                                        building setbacks and where active frontages should
                                                        be located.
                                                        Development applications for development in the
                                                        centre are submitted and assessed against the
                                                        Phillip Precinct Code and other general codes of the
                                                        Territory Plan.

12   Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan
Yarra Glen
Figure 6: Territory Plan land use zones

                                                                        LEGEND
                                                                                 RZ1: Suburban
                                                   HUGHES
                                                                                 RZ2: Suburban Core
      CURTIN
                                                                                 RZ4: Medium Density
                                                                                 Residential
                                                 Ya                              CFZ: Community Facilities
                                                    mba                          CZ1: Core
                                                          Dr                     CZ2: Business
                                                                 ive
                                                                                 CZ3: Services
                                                                                 CZ6: Leisure and
                  Lau                                                            Accommodation
                     nce
                        ston         Street                                      PRZ1: Urban Open Spaces
                                                                                 PRZ2: Restricted Access
                                                                                 Recreation
                                                                                 TSZ1: Transport
                                                                                 Intertown Public Transport
                                                                                 Route
                                                    PHILLIP
                                      Callam

  LYONS
                                        Street
       Melro
          se Dr
           ive

                                                                             Hind
                                                                                   mar
                                     PHILLIP                                            sh D
                                                                                             rive
        CHIFLEY

                                                                           MAWSON
                                                        Athllon Drive

                   PEARCE

 TERRITORY PLAN LAND USE ZONES

                                                                                               planning.act.gov.au   13
2.3 Spatial context                                       Woden town centre serves as a significant
                                                          commercial and community hub within the Woden
Canberra is a planned city. In the 1960s the National
                                                          Valley. In 2011, the centre was estimated to
Capital Development Commission, through the
                                                          employ approximately 14,500 people with the main
Metropolitan Plan for Canberra, identified several
                                                          employers being Commonwealth Government
districts outside of the central area. Woden was the
                                                          departments and retail. Other important facilities
first to be developed under this approach.
                                                          and services include:
Each district was planned with a hierarchy of             • Canberra Institute of Technology
commercial centres, including town, group and local
                                                          • Clubs
centres. This structure was intended to help develop
strong communities that had good access to services       • Emergency services facilities
and jobs, and to reinforce Canberra’s relationship with   • Phillip enclosed oval
its setting. Town centres generally serve their wider     • Phillip Community Health Centre
district as the main commercial focus. Group centres
provide shops and services for a ‘group’ of suburbs       • Phillip Swimming and Ice Skating Rink
and local centres typically cater for a single suburb     • Woden Senior Citizens Club
or precinct. The ACT Planning Strategy supports the       • The Canberra College
centres hierarchy approach, and encourages a more
compact city by focusing urban intensification in town    • The Canberra Hospital
centres, around group centres and along the major         • Trade services
public transport corridors.                               • Woden Cemetery
The centre is located centrally within its metropolitan   • Woden Community Centre
context as shown in Figure 7. It is well serviced by      • Woden Community Services
main arterial roads and rapid public transport that
link the centre to other group and town centres such      • Woden District Youth Centre
as the city centre, Tuggeranong and Mawson.               • Childcare centres
Woden town centre provides facilities and services        • Woden Library (including the ACT Heritage
to primarily serve the district of Woden Valley which       Library), and
includes 11 surrounding suburbs (excluding Phillip).      • Woden Squash Centre.
Services and facilities in the centre also support a
wider district including the eight suburbs in Weston      The Woden–Weston Creek population peaked in
Creek. Other facilities, such as The Canberra             the early 1970s at slightly above 60,000 and fell to
Hospital and Woden Cemetery, provide services for         about 57,100 in 2012, of which approximately 2188
the wider Canberra region.                                currently live in Phillip. While most of the population
                                                          in Phillip (which includes the centre) is located in
                                                          Swinger Hill, recent residential developments in
                                                          the centre core (Sky Plaza and Woden Green) are
                                                          contributing to population growth.

14   Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan
Figure 7: Spatial context for Woden town centre

                                                                                  City
                                                                                 Centre
                                 National
                                Aboretum
                                Canberra

                                                                             Parliament
                                                                               House           Kingston
                                                                                              Foreshore

   Molonglo                                                                          Manuka
    Valley                                                                            Oval
                                                                      Red Hill
                                                                                                                    Fyshwick Light
                                                                                                                    Industrial Area
                                                        Woden
                                                        Town
                                                        Centre
    Weston
    Creek                                                  The Canberra
                                                             Hospital

                                s
                          e tre
                     o  m                                     Mawson
                   il
                5k                                             Group
                                    Mt Taylor                 Centre
                                                                           Isaacs
                                                                            Ridge

                                                                                                              Hume
                                                                                                          Industrial Area
                                                      Erindale
                                                    Group Centre
                        Tuggeranong
                        Town Centre

 kilometres 0           1           2           3   4     5

                                                                                                             planning.act.gov.au   15
2.4 Planning history                                      2.4.1 2004 Woden Town Centre Master Plan
Woden Valley was Canberra’s first new town, with          The 2004 Woden Town Centre Master Plan provided
construction of the Woden town centre beginning           a vision and a number of strategies for development
in 1967. The first master plan for the centre was         in the centre. The vision was:
completed by the National Capital Development             To foster growth of an innovative, safe
Commission in 1965 and envisaged a medium rise            and collaborative living and working
centre in a cruciform layout, on a platform around a      environment that values the social and
town square. The 1965 plan (Figure 8) established         physical heritage of Woden town centre.
strong east–west and north–south pedestrian only
connections that extended from the central town           This review of the 2004 master plan is an opportunity
square. Taller development up to 20 storeys was           to evaluate the implementation of that vision over
proposed close to the town square. Building heights       the past ten years.
were planned to gradually become lower towards            A number of strategies for development in the
the edge of the centre.                                   centre were considered addressing sustainability,
Early planning for the centre proposed significantly      built form, active frontages, public transport, open
large areas for surface car parking at the periphery      spaces, car parking, walking and cycling. Figure 10
of the centre to accommodate approximately 4000           illustrates some of the key recommendations from
vehicles. Large canopy trees were proposed in the         the 2004 master plan.
car parks to provide shade and to ‘soften’ the external   Since the 2004 master plan was completed, a
appearance of the centre, contrasting with the hard       number of initiatives and development proposals
landscaping of the internal pedestrian spaces.            have emerged including new residential
Planning was further developed by the National            development in the centre (such as Sky Plaza and
Capital Development Commission in a 1968                  Woden Green), redevelopment and refurbishment
master plan (Figure 9). The plan was designed to          of office developments, upgrades to the enclosed
accommodate approximately 10,000 employees                oval and surrounds, the sale of a site for a structured
in government and private offices, shops, hotels,         car park on the western side of the centre and
library, police station, post office and an adjoining     planning for the new bus interchange. Several
area of service trades and motor vehicle sales.           residential developments have also been proposed
The 1968 plan defined a recreation and sporting           close to the retail core (Figure 11).
precinct north of Launceston Street, which currently      The 2004 master plan expressed the desire to
accommodates the Phillip Oval.                            ‘break down’ the segregated land use precincts
Several precincts established in the early planning       by encouraging more active street frontages and
are still evident today including the town square,        residential development with a ‘human scale’ at
retail centre, government office precinct, recreation     ground floor level that incorporates awnings and
precinct and Phillip service trades area.                 colonnades. Other directions in the 2004 master
                                                          plan included providing more compact car parking
Development through the 1980s and 1990s moved             arrangements such as structured and basement car
away from the structure established in the original       parks, and improvements to public transport.
planning. However the town square has remained
a key focal point and public space that connects the      Ten years after the 2004 master plan was prepared,
land use precincts.                                       there are still a number of recommendations that
                                                          are yet to be realised. However, given the extent of
The 2004 Woden Town Centre Master Plan                    development that has occurred and the introduction of
reinforced the general structure of the centre            the ACT Planning Strategy and Transport for Canberra,
and introduced a number of new development                it is appropriate to review the plan.
proposals, some of which are only now being
realised. The following section outlines the 2004         Planning controls in the Territory Plan are being
master plan in more detail.                               evaluated as part of this master plan review, which
                                                          may result in changes to the existing Phillip Precinct
                                                          Code and Map.

16   Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan
Figure 8: Woden Town Centre Master Plan (1965)

Figure 9: Woden Town Centre Master Plan (1968)

                                                 planning.act.gov.au   17
Figure 10: Woden Town Centre Master Plan, 2004

18   Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan
Figure 11: Initiatives that have been implemented from the 2004 master plan

                                         Yarra Glen
                                                                                                              LEGEND
                                                                             HUGHES                             1           Police station and
       CURTIN                                                                                                               health centre
                                                                                                                2           Phillip Oval and
                                                                                                                            Eddison Park
                                                                                                                            upgrades
                                                                                                                3           New office space
                                                                                                                4           Residential
                                  2
                                                                                     Ya                         5           Structured car park
                                       Phillip                                          m        ba
                                        Oval                                                          Dr
                            Lau                                                                         ive
                                 nce
                                      ston   2                                   2
             4                3                          Street
                      5                                                      Eddison Park
                      3      3

                            Town Centre
                               Core                                            PHILLIP
                                                        Callam

  LYONS
                                                                 1
                   Melro

                                                          Street

                                                                     1
                    se Dr

                                  Westfield                                     4                                                            The Canberra
                                                                         4
                      ive

                                                                                                                                               Hospital

                                                                                                                     CIT
                                                                 4

                                                                                                              Hind
                                                                                                                    mar
                                                                                                                           sh D
                                                                                                                               rive

         CHIFLEY                                      PHILLIP
                                                 Service Trades

                                                                                                                     MAWSON
                                                                                     Athllon Drive

                   PEARCE

  RECENT INITIATIVES
                                                                                                                                  planning.act.gov.au   19
Design ideas workshop

       20   Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan
3       Background and analysis

3.1 Community engagement                                   • current facilities are good, but are underutilised
                                                             due to poor connections, lack of ‘green’ spaces
Consultation for the Woden Town Centre Master                and poor amenity of public spaces in general, and
Plan includes two main stages. Each stage informs
the master plan as it evolves.                             • the centre requires more vibrancy and activation,
                                                             particularly after-hours and on weekends.
3.1.1 Stage 1 – February to April 2014                     Further information on feedback from the
For the first stage of community engagement,               engagement can be found in the Stage 1 community
Woden town centre and Mawson group centre                  engagement report available at:
were investigated concurrently. This allowed for           www.act.gov.au/wodenandmawson. Where
comprehensive analysis and consideration of                appropriate, these key messages and relevant
metropolitan transport and land use relationships,         background information have informed the
and infrastructure for the area. Stage 1 identified        development of this draft master plan.
key issues from the community and stakeholders,
and challenges and opportunities for each of the           3.1.2 Stage 2 – Draft master plan
centres. Approximately 300 people participated.            Stage 2 community engagement is seeking community
                                                           feedback on the draft master plan. This will be used to
Key messages from Stage 1 of community                     further refine the master plan before it is presented to
engagement for the Woden town centre included:             the ACT Government for consideration.
• general support for high-density, mixed-use
   residential development as a form of housing choice     Community engagement will also be undertaken on
   provided buildings are of high quality and contribute   any changes to the Territory Plan through a separate
   to the overall amenity of the public domain             consultation process.
• mixed views on building heights, with some
  supporting taller development in the retail core         3.2 Character and heritage
  and others preferring buildings limited to the
                                                           The suburb of Phillip is named after Captain Arthur
  existing building heights
                                                           Phillip, the first Governor of New South Wales and
• mixed views about the Athllon Drive corridor, with       leader of the expedition to establish a settlement at
  some supporting transit-oriented development             Botany Bay. Six of the eleven ships from the first fleet
  and others preferring retaining the corridor as an       were commemorated through the naming of buildings
  informal recreational/green space                        in Woden town centre, including Scarborough House,
• the need for better stormwater management in             Alexander Building, Sirius Building, Penrhyn House,
  the Athllon Drive corridor                               Borrowdale House and Fishburn House.

• mixed views towards residential development              The buildings in the centre do not exhibit a high
  within the Phillip service trades area                   standard of architectural interest. However, there
                                                           are four places registered on the ACT Heritage
• the need for improved traffic management,
                                                           Register that are considered significant:
  considering pedestrian and cycle connections
  across main arterial roads                               • Woden Library and Phillip Health Centre (1975–76)
• the need for improved cycle and pedestrian               • Woden Cemetery
  connections                                              • Callam Offices (1978), and
• supply and type of car parking needs to be               • Swinger Hill Cluster Housing (not in the study area).
  considered                                               Discovery House was assessed by the ACT Heritage
• location of the new bus station needs to consider        Council in 2008, along with Guardian House, and
  it relationship with other facilities                    were determined not to meet the threshold for
                                                           heritage significance. Guardian House has since
                                                           been demolished.

                                                                                              planning.act.gov.au   21
Figure 12: Snapshot of Woden District and suburb of Phillip

                  POPULATION                                       DWELLINGS
        Population                          Population             24,043 dwellings in
         in ACT                             in Phillip            Woden-Weston Creek
      2003 327,357
     2013 381,488
                                            2003 1,753
                                            2013 2,188
                                                                        1300
                                                                Dwellings in Phillip (2011)
     2031 493,500                           2031 5,050

       Population in Phillip anticipated to
                                                                          67%
                                                                 Dwellings are detached
                 Double by 2031                                   In the Woden Valley

                      Median age                               Household types in Phillip
                                                               47% Single
     32.6       Median age in Phillip
                                                               25% Couples
     40.2       Median age in Woden Valley                     12% Couples with children
     34.5       Median age in ACT

                EMPLOYMENT                                         TRANSPORT
                                                               Transport modes used by
                        14,500                                     Woden workers
        Jobs in Woden Town Centre                                    77% Car
                                                                   13.4% Bus
                                                                    4.7% Walk
                            30%                                       2% Cycle
             Of Woden workers live
              in the Woden Valley                                Where Woden workers
                                                                  travel by car from
                                                               35% Tuggeranong
      53% oaref jobs  in the town centre
                   public administration
                                                               28% Woden-Weston Creek
                                                               16% Central Canberra
     14% oare
           f jobs in the town centre
                  in retail
                                                               13% Belconnen
                                                               7% Gungahlin

22    Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan
3.2.1 Potential new heritage places or objects                        In 2013, the suburb of Phillip had an estimated
An assessment of buildings, places and artwork                        population of 2188. This compares to a population
was undertaken to assess the potential for new                        of 1753 in 2003 and 1991 in 2006. Most of the
nominations of places or objects with any heritage                    population is located in Swinger Hill, with recent
value. Six items were determined to have merit and                    housing developments in the centre core contributing
could potentially be new heritage places and objects                  to population growth. Based on population
including:                                                            projections, it is anticipated the population in the
                                                                      centre will more than double by 2032.
• Woden town square and pedestrian spine
• Sculptured Form artwork in the town square                          Woden town centre has the opportunity to provide
                                                                      a different housing choice for a growing ACT
• Lollipop landmark (Corinna Street)
                                                                      population that is close to services, public transport,
• Woden Town Park and Arabanoo Park                                   retail and employment.
• Eddison Park and
                                                                      3.3.2 Employment
• Woden Youth Centre.
                                                                      In 2011 there were an estimated 14,500 workers in
These places and objects have not been nominated                      the centre, equating to approximately 6.6% of ACT
to the ACT Heritage Register and require further                      employment. The main employers in the centre
assessment to determine if they are of heritage value.                are Commonwealth Government departments and
                                                                      retailing. Approximately 53% of employment in the
                                                                      centre is public administration.
3.3 Demographics
                                                                      The establishment of major Commonwealth offices
3.3.1 Population
                                                                      in town centres has been one of the city’s major
Growth and change in Canberra’s population will                       planning achievements. At July 2014, the Woden
generate demand for housing, offices, retailing,                      town centre had the most office space of the
services, community facilities and associated                         town centres (189,300 m²). This compares to
infrastructure. At April 2013, the population of                      162,200 m² at the Belconnen town centre,
the ACT was estimated to be 381,4881 with the                         150,200 m² at the Tuggeranong Town Centre and
population projected to reach 430,400 by 2021 and                     4600 m² at the Gungahlin Town centre.
493,500 by 2031.2
                                                                      The property market is cyclical and, in particular,
In the Woden Valley, the population has increased                     is influenced by the level of Commonwealth
from 32,962 in 2003 to 34,657 in 2013.                                Government activity. The level of vacancy in the
This growth rate of 5.1% over the past decade is a                    centre was 10% in 1997 before falling to 0% in 2004
relatively modest increase when compared to other                     and increased to 28% in 2010 when an additional
established centres including Canberra Central                        49,000 m² was added to the centre. The level of
(24.1%) and Belconnen (11.6%).3                                       office vacancy at July 2014 was 18.3%, compared to
Compared to the ACT population, Woden-Weston                          an ACT average vacancy of 13.6%4
Creek is under represented in the 15–44 year age
groups and over represented in the 55 years and
over age groups. However, the age structure of
Phillip is dominated by the 20–39 year age groups
and underrepresented in the 0–19 year age groups
when compared to the ACT and
Woden–Weston Creek.

1   ABS Population by Age and Sex, Regions of the ACT (cat. 3235) 28 August 2014
2   ACT Projection of resident population 2013-62 ACT Government, January 2014
3   ABS Regional Population Growth of the ACT (cat. 3218) April 2014
4   Property Council of Australia’s Office Market Report, July 2014

                                                                                                        planning.act.gov.au   23
3.4 Land use                                             While a number of larger sites close to the centre
                                                         are specifically zoned under community facility land
3.4.1 Land use zones                                     use zone (CFZ), a relatively limited amount of CFZ
The centre is comprised of a number of land              exists within the centre itself. However, a number of
use zones. However the retail core, northern             other land use zones allow for community facilities.
recreation precinct and the service trades areas
are predominately made up of commercial land             All the sites within the centre zoned CFZ are occupied.
use zones, being CZ1 Core, CZ2 Business and CZ3          Community facilities located in CFZ land are listed in
Services. Each land use zone has its own Zone            Table 1 and shown in Figure 14.
Objectives under the Territory Plan that outlines the
type of uses, mix of uses and the character.             Table 1: Community facilities located in CFZ land use

Existing development in the CZ1 land use zones            Facility                           Location
mainly consists of the Woden Plaza (Westfield             Woden CIT                          Block 17 Section 1
shopping centre), bus interchange, structured
parking and other retail uses. The CZ1 land use zone      Woden Early Childhood Centre       Block 21 Section 80
provides the most flexibility in terms of allowable       Woden District Youth Centre        Block 23 Section 80
uses and restrictions on floor space.
                                                          The Canberra College               Block 7 Section 79
Development in the CZ2 land use zone currently
                                                          Woden Library (including the ACT   Block 27 Section 8
consists mostly of Commonwealth Government
                                                          Heritage Library)
offices and smaller commercial offices. Development
in the CZ3 land use zone consists of a mix of             Phillip Health Centre              Block 21 Section 8
services, retail, trades, offices and depots. The         Senior Citizens Club               Block 17 Section 12
allowable floor space is generally limited for shops
and supermarkets in this zone.                            Lollipop Children’s Centre         Block 1 Section 12

Residential use is permitted in all three of the above    Woden Community Services           Block 1 Section 12
commercial land use zones.
                                                         Betsy Gallagher Park is located on community facility
In the centre, most sites are privately leased.          zoned land associated with the adjoining community
There are only a few sites still owned by the ACT        centre. Other important community facilities
Government as illustrated in Figure 13. Most of the      serving a regional catchment include the Woden
larger sites are surface car parks.                      Cemetery and The Canberra Hospital.
                                                         In the short to medium term it is likely that urban
3.4.2 Community facilities
                                                         intensification through population growth and the
Woden town centre plays an important district            increase in people working in the study area will
and regional role, providing essential facilities and    create additional demand for community facilities
services for the Woden Valley, Weston Creek and          and service provision. This may place pressure on
ACT. Serving the combined Woden Valley-Weston            existing facilities or create the demand for new or
Creek catchment includes The Canberra College,           different types of facilities and service provision.
Woden Library, Phillip Community Health Centre, CIT
and Woden Senior Citizens Club. There may also be        Given the current mix of residents and future
initial demand on Woden facilities and services from     population projections, it is expected young adults
the residents of the Molonglo Valley until facilities    and families may move into the area. This could
are provided in the Molonglo Valley.                     result in a high proportion of younger and older
                                                         residents.

24   Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan
Figure 13: Land custodianship in the town centre core

                                       Yarra Glen
                                                                                                        LEGEND
                                                                         HUGHES                                   Leased Territory land

        CURTIN                                                                                                    TAMS - other unleased
                                                                                                                  assets - carparks, public
                                                                                                                  transport & depots -
                                                                                                                  unleased
                                                                                                                  TAMS - other unleased
                                                                                                                  assets - municipal -
                                                                                                                  unleased

                                       Phillip                                 Ya                                 TAMS vacant (other)
                                                                                  m        ba                     municipal - unleased
                                        Oval
                                                                                                Dr
                            Lau
                               nce
                                                                                                  ive             Other ACT government
                                    ston
                                                             Street                                               agency - public land -
                                                                         Eddison Park                             unleased
                                                    Callam

                                                                                                                  Other ACT government
                                                      Street

                                                                                                                  agency - not public land
                                                                                                                  - Unleased
                            Town Centre
                               Core                                        PHILLIP                                LDA - unleased
   LYONS
                                                                                                                  Government lease
                                                                Police
                   Melro

                                                                                                                  TAMS public land -
                    se Dr

                                  Westfield                                                                       Municipal unleased
                                                                                                                  TAMS Public places -
                      ive

                                                                                                                  roads - unleased

                                                                                                         Canberra CIT

                                                                                                        Hind
                                                                                                            mar
                                                                                                                 sh D
                                                                                                                        rive

         CHIFLEY                                    PHILLIP
                                               Service Trades

                                                                                                               MAWSON
                                                                               Athllon Drive

                    PEARCE

  LAND CUSTODIANSHIP
                                                                                                                           planning.act.gov.au   25
The community centre                                      Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT)
The existing community centre in the western              CIT has six locations in the ACT including Bruce,
side of the centre includes Woden Community               Fyshwick, Gungahlin, Reid, Tuggeranong and Woden.
Services and the Lollipop Children’s Centre.              CIT employs over 1000 staff and offers more than
Woden Community Services is one of six regional           480 vocational education courses.
community services within Canberra. A not-for-
profit organisation, it has been providing a broad        The Woden CIT campus is on the corner of
range of services to people in the Woden Valley           Ainsworth Street and Hindmarsh Drive in Phillip.
since 1969.                                               The existing facilities are ageing and the bulk of
                                                          students reside outside the Woden area.
The Lollipop Children’s Centre is a 60 place centre
with capacity for 15 babies (under 2 years old),          The ACT Government is currently considering
16 toddlers (2-3 years old) and 29 children               several options for the campus such as redeveloping
(3 years to school age).                                  on the existing site or relocating to an alternative
                                                          site, possibly within the town centre. If a new
The community centre is close to the Woden Library,       development is realised, it is likely to reconsider
Phillip Community Health Centre and surrounding           the style of development, one example being the
private health sector providers. Engagement with          Gungahlin CIT hub, and linkages to the Performing
stakeholders found that community facilities in this      Arts Centre at Canberra College at Phillip.
area are difficult to access. The existing community
centre buildings require upgrading to meet the            3.4.3 Sport and recreation facilities
functional requirements for each facility and to cater    The centre provides a range of sporting and
for predicted increase in community needs.                recreation facilities as shown in Table 2 and Figure 14.
The ACT Government is currently investigating             An assessment of sport and recreation facilities
redevelopment or relocation opportunities within          found there is demand in the longer term for
the town centre.                                          additional recreation uses in the centre such as
                                                          tennis courts, multi-indoor courts, upgrades to the
Emergency services                                        existing parks in the centre, community gardens,
The existing emergency services sites in Phillip are      an off-leash district dog walking area and active
located on Block 17 Section 5 and Block 2 Section         recreation/exercise spaces. Athllon Drive also has
26 Phillip, on the corner of Botany Street and            potential to provide a number of informal sport and
Hindmarsh Drive. The facilities include a fire and        recreation facilities and informal exercise spaces
ambulance station, and are not considered to meet         associated with residential development.
the future operational user requirements.
                                                          Table 2 Sport and recreation facilities
The Phillip fire and ambulance stations are identified     Facility Description
for review in phase 4 of the ACT Government’s
                                                           Park    Eddison Park, including skate park and picnic ares.
emergency service station upgrade and relocation
strategy. Currently, the strategy is in phase 2.           Park    Town Park/Arabanoo Park
Several options will be considered for the                 Park    Betsy Gallagher Park
redevelopment of these facilities including a newly        Sport   Phillip Oval
built station, collocated on a single site.                Sport   Woden Park Athletics Field
A land area of 6500 to 7000 m² would be required           Sport   Phillip District Playing Field, including Phillip
to collocate these facilities in a location on, or very            enclosed oval
close to, an arterial road.                                Sport   Woden Basketball Centre
                                                           Sport   Phillip Swimming and Ice Skating Rink
                                                           Sport   Woden Squash Centre
                                                           Club    Woden Tradesmen’s Union Club
                                                           Club    Woden Hellenic Club
                                                           Club    Canberra Southern Cross Club

26   Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan
Figure 14: Community, sport and recreation facilities
                                                               Pk

                                             Yarra Glen
                                                                                                                    LEGEND
                                                                                                             Pw
                                                                                       HUGHES                        Ac            Aged care
            CURTIN                                                                                                   Cc            Childcare
                                                                                                                     Cs            Community services
                                                                                                                      E            Education
                                                                                                                     Es            Emergency services
                                                                                                             Cc
                                                                                                                     Lc            Licensed clubs
                                            E Lc                                                       Pw
                                                                                                             Ac      M             Medical facilities
                     Pw Ro                                                                  Ya E
                                             Phillip                    E                     mb                     Pk            Parks
                           Ri        Ri       Oval                                       Ro      aD
     Pk                                                             Cs                                       riv     Pw            Places of worship
                  Ac
                                 Lau
                                      nce        Ro                                                             e
    Cs E                                  ston
                                                                Street
                                                                                                                     Ri            Indoor recreation
                                                                            Cs         Eddison Park                                facilities
E                                                              Cs
                                                                                            Pk                       Ro            Outdoor recreation
      Ac
                              Town Centre                                 M                                                        facilities         Pk
                 Pw Pw        Core                                               Ri                                                Community facility
                                                                    Ri                       PHILLIP                             Rozoned land            Cs
                                   Cs
                                                               Callam

         LYONS Pw    Cs Library
                        Woden
                                                                                   E                                                                 E
                                                                        Cs
                   Pk                                                                         Woden
                                                                                                                                    Pk                               E
                      Cc M
                                                                 Street

                                                                                             Cemetery
                                                                          Es                                                                             M
                        Cs             Westfield                                                                                                      The Canberra
                                M                                                                                                       Ro              Hospital
                                M
                                                                                                                           CIT
                                                          Cs        Lc
                             Melro

                                                                                                                     Cs           E                              E
                                                 Es                                                                 Hind                                     M
                              se Dr

                                                               Es                                                       mar
                                                                                                                                 sh D                     M
                                ive

                                                                                                                                      rive                       M
      Pw                                                         Cs
                                            PHILLIP
     E                                                                  Cs M
              CHIFLEY                                     Cs                           Cs
                                                                          Cs
Cs                                          Cs Cs Cs

                                                                    E                                                              Pw
                                                          Cs                                                                               Cs
                                                                          Es                                                          Pw
                                                                                                                    MAWSON
                                                                  Service Trades                                                    E Pw
                                                                                             Athllon Drive

                                                                                                                                        Pw
                                                                                                                      Cc
                                                                               E
                        PEARCE                                                                                                        Cc

                                                                             Cc                                                              Pk

      COMMUNITY AND RECREATION FACILITIES
                                                                                                                                           planning.act.gov.au   27
3.4.4 Northern entertainment,                           A number of recent development proposals have
accommodation and leisure precinct                      emerged through development applications and
The northern precinct of the centre (north of           include a number of residential units as illustrated in
Launceston Street) is experiencing a change             Figure 15.
in the type of uses being proposed. The 2004            Land available for new residential development is
master plan recommended the precinct include            limited, with most developable sites being surface
provision for office and residential on the upper       car parking, as illustrated in Figure 13.
floors of buildings. The Territory Plan incorporated
residential use into this precinct to implement the     3.4.6 Commercial and retail
2004 master plan, but also permitted residential use
                                                        Woden town centre is a major employment centre
on the ground floor of development.
                                                        that includes office, retail and service trades.
Recent redevelopment proposals in this precinct are     Growth and change in Canberra’s population will
seeking to deliver mostly residential development,      generate demand for housing, offices, retailing,
which could begin to change the precinct character,     health services, community facilities and associated
but will also provide more after-hours activity.        infrastructure.

Entertainment and leisure facilities in this precinct   The first retail releases in the town centre were
include the Phillip Oval, squash courts, basketball     in 1972 when Woden Plaza opened. Retail is
centre, health club and the Phillip Swimming and        the second largest employment base in the
Ice Skating Centre. Analysis of aquatic centres         centre, which benefits from the large number of
for the district found there is demand for a single     Tuggeranong and South Canberra residents who
aquatic centre in the medium to long term.              shop there.

3.4.5 Town centre living                                In 2011, there was an estimated 202,652 m² gross
                                                        floor area (GFA) of retail and commercial space in
Housing demand in the ACT is likely to average          the centre, excluding major offices. Located in the
around 2400 dwellings a year between 2011 and           retail core (38%) and the Phillip service trades area
2031. The city centre and town centres could            (62%), it represents a provision of 3.57 m² per capita
attract 20 to 25% of this demand, which translates      in Woden. This is relatively high when compared
to an annual average demand of between 500 and          to Canberra City (3.2 m²), Belconnen (3.05 m²),
600 dwellings a year. The Woden town centre share       Tuggeranong (2.12 m²) and Gungahlin (1.58 m²).
is likely to be 100 to 150 dwellings a year.
                                                        This high rate of retail space per capita could be
In Woden–Weston Creek, approximately 73% of             due to the substantial inflow of expenditure from
dwellings are detached single dwellings. In Woden       Tuggeranong residents.
Valley, approximately 67% of dwellings are detached.
There is opportunity for the centre and surrounding     Expansion of Woden Plaza
areas to offer other housing types that provide         The proposed expansion of Woden Plaza is associated
more housing choice in locations that are close to      with the proposed Woden bus interchange and bus
services, shopping and employment.                      network improvements. The shopping centre will
While residential development is permitted in most      expand east onto Callam Street and is likely to include
areas of the centre, it has only been built in recent   a large retail anchor with several speciality shops
years. Developments have included Sky Plaza,            fronting the new bus station. The expansion will
Woden Green and along Melrose Drive in Lyons.           increase retail use in Woden Plaza by approximately
                                                        a further 20,000 m². More parking is likely to be
                                                        included as part of the proposal.

28   Woden Town Centre Draft Master Plan
Figure 15: Recent development proposals in Woden town centre

                                              Yarra Glen
                                                                                                                      LEGEND
                                                                                    HUGHES                              1           Lease variation
       CURTIN                                                                                                           2           DA approved
                                                                                                                        3           Current DA
                                                                                                                                    Land release
                                          1                                                                             4           Under construction
                               3                                                                                                    Known proposals for
                                                                                                                                    future development
                                              Phillip                                        Ya                                     / redevelopment
                                                                                                m        ba
                                               Oval
                                                                   4                                          Dr
                               Lau
                                   nce
                                                                                                                ive
                           2             ston
                                                                   Street
                      4                                                             Eddison Park

                               Town Centre
                                 2 Core
                                                               Callam

                                                               2                        PHILLIP
   LYONS                                                   2
                                                                   Street
                   Melro

                                                                                4
                    se Dr

                                     Westfield                                           4                                                          The Canberra
                      ive

                                                                                                                                                      Hospital
                                                                                    3
                                                                                                                             CIT

                                     2                                                                                Hind
                                                                                                                            mar
                                                                                                                                   sh D
                                                                                                                                       rive

                                                 2
                                                                            2
                                                           1
         CHIFLEY                                           PHILLIP
                                                      Service Trades
                                                                            1
                                                                        1

                                                                                    2

                                                                                                                             MAWSON
                                                                                             Athllon Drive

                   PEARCE

  RECENT DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS
                                                                                                                                          planning.act.gov.au      29
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