On April 2, 2016, the ACT (Australian Capital Territory) government stated the intent to sell the old Canberra Brickworks site in Yarralumla (Australia) off the back of an unprecedented level of community consultation.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr announces the sale of the 16-hectare development area, which is expected to be snapped up by a developer by early 2017.
The ACT Land Development Agency has met with a committee of stakeholders six times since November to develop a list of objectives guiding the future development of the site.
These considerations will form part of a request for proposal, forcing developers vying for the land to consider a range of community concerns, such as the site’s heritage value and traffic flow, as part of their submissions.
“These include conservation and reuse of heritage buildings, diverse and sustainable housing options, integrating open spaces and recreation facilities into existing networks and minimising adverse impacts on traffic, parking and privacy,” Barr said.
Inner South Canberra Community Council chairman Gary Kent described the government’s level of community engagement as “unprecedented”.
He said previous consultation around the future of the brickworks site had gone “off the rails for many years. It’s the first time to my knowledge the community has been involved at such an early stage.”