Eastlake Planning
SUBMISSION FROM SEE-CHANGE INNER SOUTH
SUMMARY
SEE-Change Inner South:
Commends the recognition of the need for more sustainable
development including sustainable transport in planning for Canberra
Expresses grave concern about how land planning continues to
proceeded in isolation from broader transport planning for Canberra
Makes recommendations to improve the sustainability and
accessibility of transport, particularly the need to place East Lake in a
context of broader transport planning for Canberra
Recommends that the sustainability and ‘showcaseability’ of East
Lake be strengthened, for example through including the positive
development principles proposed for the precinct by the Australian
National Sustainability Initiative (see website)
Condemns in the placing of apartment (multi-unit) buildings at the
interface with public open space at the Wetlands/Jerrabomberra Creek
edge of East Lake
Points out that siting of apartment buildings should be determined by
sustainability principles rather than purely economic ones
Considers that 15% of the site dedicated to open space, divided into
separate small patches, is a very poor offering for recreation and
visual amenity for 9,000-12,000+ people
Proposes that the public good considerations of the East Lake site as
a contribution to Canberra’s tourism and residential well-being take
priority over commercial benefits to the development industry. The
site has the potential to be as great an asset as the main basin and
this is recognized in the goal for it to be a sustainability showcase.
Introduction
SEE-Change (SEE = Society, Environment, Economy) is a community, not-for-profit
group that supports and inspires people to join together and act in a sustainable way. It is
a community response to concerns about the strains we place on the planet, and our desire
to affect society in more sustainable ways through practical community action.
SEE-Change believes that a safer social and environmental path in Australia can be
initiated by people acting together. Its activities are practical, and based on local
Canberra realities. In addition, its aim is to create workable project models to be picked
up by other community groups Australia-wide.
Canberra’s ultimate challenge is for this affluent city to have a sustainable footprint, and
to do so as quickly as possible SEE-Change Inner South therefore welcomes the
sustainable planning for East Lake and the opportunity to comment on it. We look
forward to participating in further consultation on the planning and development of East
Lake.
Comments
The proposals for East Lake that were presented at the June information sessions are in
many respects better environmentally than anything previously done in Canberra. There
is the potential for an exciting cultural step forward in the environmental sustainability of
planning in Canberra.
While the current proposals have taken on board many of the comments made during the
previous round of consultation, there remain a few serious deficiencies that will need to
be remedied.
Only then will what is proposed for East Lake be more fully integrated and justify
changing the planning rules for the development, and therefore be more likely to fulfil its
claims to be a sustainable showcase for Canberra
Transport integration
The proposal for active transport on most streets (‘green streets’), rapid public transport
(every 3 minutes) along Wentworth and Canberra Avenues and a frequent (every 7.5
minutes) local transport through East Lake is a welcome development and will help
people living and working in East Lake to avoid travelling by car.
However, the current proposal appears to have been developed in isolation from a
broader long-term transport plan for Canberra. It lacks:

a clear, direct and easy-to-use transport corridor, linking Civic and other major
centres (including East Lake) with interstate rail services

information about how access for people with limited mobility and emergency and
service vehicles will be provided

information about the impact of the considerable additional traffic on Wentworth
and Canberra Avenues that the proposed East Lake will generate
Transport planning and land planning are integrally linked and must be done together in
an urban context. It is the key to whether Canberra becomes more sustainable. It is more
than just ensuring ‘green streets’ and separation of active transport and motor vehicle
transport in East Lake: it is how East Lake fits into the broader transport system for
Canberrans and visitors. Advocating at this late stage a frequent local bus route in East
Lake and mentioning access to a proposed rapid transport route on Wentworth and
Canberra Avenues is insufficient.
We have before us an opportunity to develop a fully integrated transport system which
will serve a more sustainable Canberra well into the future.
This deficiency should be remedied urgently, and before the plans for East Lake are
‘set in concrete’.
Railway
Pulling up the existing rail corridor and moving the railway station ‘out of the way’ goes
against the whole idea of a showcase sustainable suburb in a city that wants to encourage
low-carbon transport, tourists and better transport for business/parliamentary travelers.
Instead of consolidating and improving accessibility of the railway (as mentioned in the
Strategic Environmental Assessment panel), the current proposal alienates rail transport
even more from Canberra than it is with the location of the current railway station. The
current railway station and train line are clearly seen as nuisances in this proposed East
Lake development and have been brushed aside.
Our future should not be sold for a quick profit or the convenience of the property
development industry.
Rather, the rail facilities should at some stage be extended and enhanced, providing a
clear and accessible entry to Canberra. Elsewhere, business and tourist travelers travel by
train. Apart from commuters, interstate travelers want to travel from city centre to city
centre. Not many people want to travel by rail that is serviced by a station left stranded
on the edge of an industrial area.
Canberra needs an Interstate Rail Terminal befitting the National Capital not a small
suburban-type train station that is served only by local streets and cycleways. Long
distance passenger rail is environmentally friendly (the most efficient way of moving
large amounts of freight long distances over land), and attractive to users (both freight
and passengers) if done well. Heavy and light rail can both user the same corridor.
Encouraging people and freight to travel to/from interstate using rail would reduce the
carbon footprint for ACT and Australia, and show that the ACT is really serious about
showcasing environmental sustainability. It would also help reduce the costs associated
with road transport (including loss of people’s lives).
Ideally, the train line should be reinstated to Civic and extended to Goulburn and
Melbourne. The route may be like it was in 1920, as per the original Canberra plan by
Griffin, or via some other route north or south of the Lake. In any case, the aesthetics
and operations of the Lake and people having easy access to the Lake would need to be
maintained.
Whatever the routes, they need to be planned for and land set aside now, as it will be
much more difficult and expensive to do so later – or is the current approach to planning
just a subtle way of preventing any future rail links to the city and phasing out rail
transport altogether?
The planning for East Lake needs to take into account and make provision now for future
transport developments such as these. A future rail link straight to Civic should be at
least reflected in the thinking behind and documentation for the planning for East Lake.
If the existing alignment is maintained and, as the consultants commented, north-south
movement needs to be facilitated, bridges could be constructed over the railway, or the
railway lowered, or both – or the railway could be put underground and buildings built on
top (very good where land is very valuable). These options worked well elsewhere.
If the station is to be moved to the current proposed location, at very least, there should
be a direct transport link from the Station to Civic, East Lake, Kingston, Manuka, and
Tuggeranong and Woden Town Centres, along with a clear rail corridor set aside
(following community consultation) to link the station by rail with Civic in the future.
Accessibility
East Lake must provide access for people with limited mobility and service vehicles, and
for high visibility to deter criminal activity.
People with limited mobility are not only those with disabilities or who are frail and
infirm. Anyone can have reduced mobility at any time, for example by spraining an
ankle or breaking a leg, or returning from hospital following surgery. These people will
all require the buildings in which they live and/or work to have easy access to motor
vehicles.
Service and emergency vehicles will also need reasonable access to buildings. There
have been problems with access by trucks (especially ‘garbage’ trucks) in recent
Canberra developments that are less dense than that proposed for East Lake. While
regular services such as ‘garbage’ collection can be dealt with in such areas in a number
of ways, including have a central/ integrated transport system to get the goods to external
pickup points, other services (eg furniture moving) and emergency access is less flexible.
These matters need to be well thought through before the planning for East Lake
proceeds to the next step – it is much easier to fix now than after roads and building are
built.
Traffic management
The planning for East Lake has been for 9,000 residents and 3,000 workers (who may or
may not live in East Lake). Potentially, that is 12,000 people plus extra students and
current workers and students who will be moving about every day.
Even with a large proportion of people travelling by public and/or active transport, this
would mean a large increase in the number of motor vehicles using the major roads of
Canberra and Wentworth Avenues and then the Monaro Highway and Hindmarsh Drive.
These roads are already subject to very heavy traffic, and this is increasing without the
East Lake development. The addition of a rapid transport route along these roads may
alleviate some of the traffic but it will require dedicated corridors to do so and this will
reduce the road available for private transport.
The current proposal for East Lake aims to reduce car ownership and vehicle hours
travelled. However:

it still includes 1.3 car spaces/dwelling (no mention made of how many per
business floor area)

the increase in traffic that the proposed development is likely to increase the vehicle
hours travelled, particularly due to heavier and thus slower traffic along the major
roads mentioned above.
The planning for East Lake needs to include traffic management plans based on realistic
modeling that includes existing traffic and trends for the whole of this part of Canberra,
not just the local traffic within East Lake.
Built environment
The built environment of East Lake also needs to include:

public/low income/community housing

space(s) for people to grow their own food

wildlife/open space corridors
The school and other public buildings for mass use should also be fully accessible and
easily used by the masses. Young people at current multistorey schools frequently report
dislike buildings over two storeys high. These can result in access problems, particularly
with large volumes of people rushing up and down stairwells. As a result, students prefer
lower rise buildings. Nevertheless, students seem happy to occupy multistorey buildings
if there is adequate access, particularly lifts for people with disabilities: this means that
people with disabilities or injuries do not have so far to travel as they do in campuses that
are spread out.
For all buildings, energy efficiency and solar access should be maximized. Energy
ratings should substantially exceed the European standards (which we understand are
currently 7.2 energy stars and working toward 7.5 stars) for each building as a whole and
for any individual accommodation units it may include. To do anything less would make
a mockery of East Lake being a sustainability showcase. The street/block and multi-unit
layouts in the current proposal suggests that most housing would also provide a poor
example of passive solar design: they would be the exact opposite of the preferable model
of maximizing northern aspect and minimizing western aspect, and instead have most of
their windows to the west, east and/or south and minimal if any facing north..
We commend the proposal to have all buildings built to tight environmental
specifications: it will help educate the builders, as well dramatically improve the building
stock.
Further environmental benefits to those outlined here and in the current proposal could be
gained from:

including the positive development principles proposed for the precinct by the
Australian National Sustainability Initiative (www.sustainability.org.au)

requiring water collection and high water efficiency to be part of all buildings –
the proposal appears to suggest that the baseline of water tanks and high water
efficiency will be rescinded in favour of recycling water

re-use current materials from current buildings on the site, especially those with
high embodied energy such as bricks

include district heating and/or cooling – this could greatly increase the efficiency
(and reduce the costs) associated with heating and cooling the buildings in East
Lake; it could also work in conjunction with the cogeneration that is proposed

have separate metering for different occupants/spaces
Range of housing options
Like other parts of Canberra, East Lake should include a mix of residents.
Previous consultation has pointed to the desirability that the East Lake:

respond to the demand for affordable housing

include a range of housing tenures, such as public housing, community housing,
communal living, low-middle income housing
Including housing for low-income residents will afford them the social, environmental
and financial benefits (particularly from reduced energy consumption and travel
expenditure) of living in a sustainability showcase area. This can in turn provide
assistance with reducing poverty.
Space(s) for people to grow their own food
People living in East Lake should have the opportunity of growing their own food.
This would provide:

reduced environmental impact - the further your food travels to your plate, the
greater its environmental impact. Our food choices account for 40% of the ACT’s
environmental footprint and 24% of our greenhouse emissions.

the opportunity for low income residents to reduce their outlays

more opportunities for residents to engage in physical activity, and therefore
improving their health.
The opportunity for residents to grow their own food could be provided through building
design and/or community gardens.
Wildlife/open space corridors
Consideration should be given as to how the green streets and open spaces, East Lake’s
contribution to Canberra’s ‘urban forest’.
These places could be more like a real forest: self-sustaining, with mixed species and
reduced greenhouse gas emissions from mowing, and contribute to food security and
wildlife habitat. To provide corridors for wildlife (micro as well as macro), connectivity
of vegetation is vital. These benefits would be in addition to the aesthetic and the local
moderation of climate they offer to the immediate vicinity (even more important as
global warming increases).
Separate small patches of open space, adding up to a total of 15% of the precinct, is a
very poor offering for recreation and visual amenity for 9,000-12,000 people (+ new and
current students + current workers).
Interface with the Wetlands/Jerrabomberra Creek open space
The latest proposal includes a row of apartment buildings at the interface between the
East Lake development and the public open space. The apartment buildings would curve
around what appears to be a large section of that interface, and could end up dominating
that landscape. Moreover public access to the foreshore in front of these buildings
appears to be limited to a minor path. At anything more than 2 stories the apartment
buildings:

would replicate the Kingston Foreshore development approach, contrary to the
views expressed previously by members of the community

would ‘cut off’ the rest of the East Lake and surrounds from the Wetlands, similar
to the way that the Kingston Foreshore development has ‘cut off’ that section of the
Lake from the Canberra public. Units lining the open spaces block views and
access of the general public. This runs counter to changing the initial classification
of the majority of the site away from community use.

would increase the impact (eg via chemical and water runoff, interference with
natural air patterns) on the Wetlands

could reduce solar access of other nearby buildings
The north-south wings of the apartment buildings would also provide a poor example of
passive solar design: they would be the exact opposite of the preferable model of
maximizing northern aspect and minimizing western aspect.
We appreciate that the planners have sited the apartment blocks in strategic positions to
maximise earnings from their sale to developers. However, where the apartment blocks
are sited should be determined by sustainability principles rather than purely economic
ones. The public good considerations of the East Lake site as a contribution to Canberra’s
tourism and residential well-being take priority over commercial benefits to the
development industry. The site has the potential to be as great an asset as the main basin
and this is recognized in the goal for it to be a sustainability showcase.
Denying, restricting or inhibiting public access to the Lake shore and Wetlands (which
this represents however it is hidden under rhetoric) would be a flaw for future
generations. It would also be the opposite to the active living model proposed for the rest
of the development, contravene disability access and limit people's citizenship rights.
Previous options (Ideas 1 and 2) considered in the previous consultation round had
houses/terraces etc at that interface and would be preferable to apartments.
Further contact
SEE-Change Inner South is happy to discuss these comments further and would like to be
kept involved in further planning for East Lake and other areas of the Inner South. Our
contact is Gillian King.