2024-09-19
The ACT Greens have asked Canberrans to reflect on what they want for the future of our city - urban sprawl or a dynamic, liveable city.
“This election is shaping up to be a contest of ideas on what people want for our city as our population grows and we plan for more housing and a climate-impacted world,” said ACT Greens Deputy Leader and Candidate for Kurrajong, Rebecca Vassarotti.
“The Greens want Canberra to be a city that’s sustainable and easy to get around, with options for housing - townhouses, duplexes, apartments and houses - close to the services people need and good transport options to get you from A to B,” said Ms Vassarotti.
“The plan the Liberals have put forward today lacks any sort of creative thinking to adapt our city to the needs of our growing population.
“They have put very little thought into how we can use smart, modern design standards to give Canberrans what they need without simply bulldozing around the edges.
“Despite denials in candidates forums this week that it wasn’t on the agenda, the Canberra Liberals are now planning to bulldoze into West Murrumbidgee, a place of high ecological value that we will need to protect to save our native species from the threat of extinction.
“After years of being out of Government, it looks like the Canberra Liberals have resorted to playing SimCity with our urban planning in an effort to make themselves look like a real alternative.
ACT Greens Candidate for Ginninderra, Jo Clay said the move by the Canberra Liberals to bulldoze Kowen Forest reflected their inexperience and lack of understanding about how to create a liveable climate-resilient Canberra.
“Building on the outskirts of the city is expensive and it isolates people, making it difficult for them to access work, health, education and community services,” said Ms Clay.
“It’s also really expensive to build new greenfields suburbs - it costs up to $60,000 more per dwelling because the government has to build new roads, sewerage and services for the new suburbs.
“I’d also ask the Canberra Liberals how they expect people to get to this new suburb - and at what cost? Kowen Forest is almost 30 kms from the city - how are all these people going to get to work, or to essential services like healthcare?
“And it’s wrecking our climate. Transport is responsible for over 60% of our climate emissions. This plan fails people and the planet.
“The Greens have a smart plan that will provide homes for our growing population while protecting our environment and greenspaces. Our vision would create at least 95,000 homes close to schools, shops and services, including 10,000 public homes.
“We will build a new suburb on the central site of the racecourse, building 5000 new homes right on Light Rail, and all the services that people need in a new suburb - school, shops, parks and community facilities.
“We will also build more homes inside the current footprint of the city by changing the zoning rules to allow for the different types of homes that people want - that means townhouses, duplexes, apartments
“This gives Canberrans more options to live (and remain) in existing suburbs. Older Canberrans can downsize in place, younger people who
“Building on the outskirts of town just creates more urban sprawl and contributes to the existing problems we have - people locked into using their car, hard to get to, further away from jobs and the places people need to go.
“We must set limits on the development boundary for Canberra because this is not a game of SimCity, and we need to think of the impacts of our development - both on people and our environment,” said Ms Clay.