Transport Canberra and City Services

Transport Canberra and City Services (TCCS) has consulted and involved the community in a range of community engagement activities over the year. These community engagements have sought views and ideas from the community to deliver infrastructure and services that are meaningful to them. We aim to reach a wide range of audiences and do this through both online and face‑to-face channels. One of the new feedback tools that was used throughout the year was Social Pinpoint’s interactive mapping tool.

Project

Summary

Light Rail Stage 2

Community consultation was held from 1 May to 11 June 2017 seeking feedback on options for the route, alignment of the tracks, potential stop locations and identification of any items of community, cultural or environmental importance. In addition, people were encouraged to share their vision for the City to Woden corridor and their opinions about broader renewal issues.

Feedback was sought from a diverse range of stakeholders by working across all geographic regions of Canberra and using multiple techniques to gather feedback. A combination of digital and face‑to‑face engagement activities were carried out as part of the consultation. These included the use of the Your Say website incorporating an online survey, interactive mapping and video feedback, stakeholder roundtable meetings, community drop-in sessions, market stalls and presentations to key community groups and organisations.

Overall we reached 4,772 people via the Your Say website, received 1,796 items of written feedback, spoke to 587 individuals, delivered eight presentations, visited businesses and shopping centres distributing 2,990 newsletters and reached a social media audience of almost 40,000 people.

The feedback received during the consultation will be included as critical input to the business case which will be considered by the ACT Government. This is the first stage of a consultation journey with the community for Light Rail Stage 2. Other opportunities in the future will include design, urban design, stop design and environmental and planning approvals.

Gartside Street, Wanniassa, streetscape improvements

Retailers and leaseholders on Gartside Street, Wanniassa were consulted on existing traffic and parking issues as part of site investigations in February 2016. A concept plan of proposed upgrades along Gartside Street was made available to the community and key stakeholders for comment in July 2016. A drop-in session was held on Gartside Street for the community to discuss the plans with the project team on site. A display was also set up at the Erindale Library where people could take away information on the project and email any questions or comments to the TCCS community engagement email inbox.

Feedback from the consultation showed the community was supportive of the proposed upgrade to Gartside Street. The main concerns raised included better management of evening traffic and the demand for parking during the busy evening peak time. The final design for the upgrade was amended in response to this feedback and made publicly available in April 2017. The upgrades will be completed in the 2017-18 financial year.

Anketell Street, Tuggeranong, northern section upgrade

Community feedback was invited in August and September 2016 on the draft concept plan for the upgrade of the northern section of Anketell Street, Tuggeranong including the Stage 1 works to improve the courtyard adjacent to the Hyperdome.

Over 480 people participated in the consultation and over 75 per cent of respondents were either satisfied or very satisfied with the proposal. Around 200 people responded via an online survey available on the ACT Government’s Your Say website, as well as hard copy surveys which were mailed out to areas of Greenway, Bonython and Oxley. Some hard copy surveys were also completed at three drop‑in information sessions held on Anketell Street which gave people the opportunity to provide face‑to‑face feedback.

The feedback received from the community has been included in the final design for the courtyard upgrade as well as the concept design for future improvements along Anketell Street, between Pitman Street and Reed Street North. The Stage 1 courtyard upgrade started in May 2017 and will be completed in the 2017‑18 financial year.

New Weston Creek Dog Park

Three sites in Holder, Chapman and Waramanga were identified as options for a new dog park in Weston Creek and were put forward to the community in August 2016.

The public was given the opportunity to comment on the suitability of these sites through an online survey and quick poll on the Your Say website where maps and short videos of the sites were also available. A hard copy survey was mailed to residents in parts of Holder, Chapman and Waramanga and also made available at the Woden Library and Weston Creek Community Centre.

Over 600 surveys were completed and people also provided their feedback through the online quick poll. The results showed limited support for each of the three shortlisted sites.

A fourth site in Duffy was identified through the consultation process and was determined as the most appropriate location for the new dog park, which will be constructed in the 2017-18 financial year.

Weston Group Centre Upgrade

Community feedback was invited in August and September 2016 on the draft design for an upgrade of Brierly Street and Trenerry Square in Weston including the final design of the Stage 1 works to Trenerry Square.

The release of the design followed community consultation held earlier in 2016 to identify areas of improvement at this location.

Feedback was collected through an online survey, hard copy survey which was letterbox dropped in Weston and available at the Centre Management Office inside Cooleman Court and three drop-in sessions held in Trenerry Square.

Approximately 100 people participated in the Stage 2 design consultation and of the participants, approximately 80 per cent agreed with the Stage 1 works prioritised for construction.

The key priorities identified included more shade, age appropriate seating, trees and landscaping and more space in Trenerry Square for activities and events. This feedback has been included in the final design for the Trenerry Square upgrade as well as the concept design for the long term vision of the area.

The Stage 1 Trenerry Square upgrade will be completed in the 2017‑18 financial year.

Revamped Yarralumla Fitness Trail

The community was invited in August 2016 to nominate equipment and layouts they preferred for the revamped outdoor fitness trail on Alexandrina Drive in Yarralumla.

The community told us their preferred exercises included push-ups (64 per cent), chin ups (60 per cent), body curls (40 per cent), step ups and sit ups (32 per cent) and tricep dips (20 per cent). Around 44 per cent of people who completed the survey also wanted the equipment to retain its layout as a trail spread along the edge of Lake Burley Griffin.

This feedback was collected via an online survey which the community was invited to complete through signage at each of the existing pieces of fitness equipment. A media release and social media were also issued. The revamped fitness trail has been delivered to reflect the feedback received with 12 new and four refurbished pieces of fitness equipment for the community to use.

Hibberson Street, Gungahlin, Pedestrian Priority Zone

Three design options for a more pedestrian focussed redevelopment of Hibberson Street in Gungahlin were put to the community for comment in September 2016.

The three options presented a pedestrian mall, one‑way shared zone and two‑way shared zone.

Approximately 200 people took part in the consultation, completing an online feedback form and providing feedback face‑to‑face at two drop‑in consultation sessions held at the local shopping precinct. Hard copy surveys were also available at a display at the Gungahlin Library which presented large prints of each of the design options.

While the community’s top vote was for a pedestrian mall, their second preference for the one-way shared zone was identified as the option that best addressed the greater community concerns of improved pedestrian safety, while also addressing oversight at night and the traffic impacts.

The one-way shared zone will be delivered on Hibberson Street, between Gungahlin Place and Gozzard Street, in the 2017-18 financial year.

Kambah Group Centre Upgrade

A draft design for an upgrade of the Kambah Group Centre was released for consultation in September 2016. A survey was made available online and at the Kambah Village Brumby’s Bakery and Capital Chemist pharmacy for people to provide feedback. People were also invited to come along to a drop-in information session, with two sessions held in the Kambah Village central courtyard.

High priority improvements were identified through the consultation process including replacement of the raised timber deck with new paving and levelling to provide more functional outdoor dining areas and removal of some of the walls in the central courtyard to open up the area for greater use.

These improvements are being delivered as part of the Stage 1 courtyard upgrade which started in May 2017 and will be completed in the 2017-18 financial year.

Tillyard Drive, Fraser Traffic Management

In July 2016, TCCS commenced a traffic study on Tillyard Drive and surrounding streets in Charnwood, Flynn and Fraser. A consultation process was run in November and December 2016 to seek feedback from the community regarding their traffic concerns within the study area. Hard copy newsletters and surveys were delivered to the residents of Charnwood, Fraser and Flynn. The community could also provide feedback by completing an online survey or a hard copy survey available at the Kippax and Belconnen public libraries. Three information sessions were held for the community to learn more about the project and discuss any traffic issues, with two sessions held at the Charnwood shops and one session held at the Fraser shops.

Feedback received included 636 survey responses, eight phone/written submissions and 120 people attended the information sessions.

Key areas of concern included: speeding on Tillyard Drive, Kuringa Drive, Moroney Street, Spalding Street, Lhotsky Street and Bingle Street; safety at the intersections of Tillyard Drive and Lhotsky Street; and other safety and visibility issues including around Fraser Primary School.

A traffic management scheme (master plan) is now being finalised for the study area based on community concerns as well as the results of a technical analysis. The master plan will guide the implementation of the scheme over a number of years.

Melba, Evatt and Spence Traffic Management

In June 2016, upgrades were introduced on Copland Drive and surrounding streets in Melba, Evatt and Spence to improve pedestrian and intersection safety and reduce traffic speeds.

In March and April 2017, feedback was sought on the effectiveness of the traffic management improvements implemented to help determine if these treatments had achieved their objectives and helped create safer and more liveable streets.

Feedback was provided by completing an online survey or hard copy survey at the Belconnen Library. Hard copy surveys were also delivered to all households in Melba, Evatt and Spence.

Over 330 people provided feedback. A summary of the analysis of the community feedback and the technical analysis of traffic speeds, volumes and crashes is currently being finalised.

Dog Park Improvement Projects

Community feedback was invited in April and May 2017 on minor improvements that could be made to enhance safety and comfort at Canberra’s dog parks in O’Connor, Yarralumla, Tuggeranong, Belconnen, Casey and Forde.

Face-to-face feedback opportunities took place at all six of Canberra’s dog parks across a weekend in April and those who missed out on the on-site visit by the project team could provide feedback through an online survey.

Over 580 people provided feedback, identifying high priority issues such as site access, drinking water, ground erosion, seating and shade. In the 2017-18 financial year each dog park will receive minor improvements to fix the high priority issues the community identified.

Draft Animal Welfare and Management Strategy

In March 2017, the draft Animal Welfare and Management Strategy was made available for public comment.

The draft strategy had input from a range of stakeholders, including the Animal Welfare Advisory Group, RSPCA (ACT), the ACT Commissioner for Sustainability and Environment, Rural Leaseholders and various government directorates that have a role in animal management and welfare.

The community was given an opportunity to provide feedback on the strategy through an online feedback form that was also made available at all ACT public library branches.

Approximately 100 people provided feedback through these channels. The final Animal Welfare and Management Strategy will be made publicly available in the 2017-18 financial year.