There are four development activities current taking place or planned around Fremantle Drive Stirling during 2010-2011 with the most recent activity being the planned sell-off of land adjacent to the Labor Club in Teesdale Place.  These developments have the potential to change parking and traffic flow arrangements around Fremantle Drive, Crowder Circuit and Teesdale Place

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Current and planned development work in Stirling include:

• - the land at Block 88 Section 24 has been sold for an aged facility with construction due to start by Dec 2010;
• - the Canberra Labor Club is seeking to deconcessionalise its lease at Block 5 Section 24;
• - the Canberra Labor Club is extending its current facilities by building a third bowling green; and
• - it is intended by the government to sell the land at Block 4(sometimes also referred to as 90) Section 24 for CZ6: Leisure and Accommodation use during 2010-2011 – see Indicative Land Release Programs (pg 15)

Click map to enlarge

Of concern to the Council is the lack of interaction between each of these developments as each appears to have been dealt with as a separate event and no one Agency/Department has considered the overall consequences of the combined developments that will occur in a parallel timeframe.

In a Traffic Impact Assessment prepared for the Land Development Agency (27 Feb 08) it was noted that overflow parking of vehicles from the Centre of Teaching occurs and The Department of Education & Training (DET) has estimated that overflow parking can be in excess of 300 cars.  Roads ACT advice to DET noted that parking could be accommodated by reconfiguring Fremantle Drive into three lanes, with one lane for on-street parking, and also by utilising parking at the nearby cricket (Teesdale Place) and netball (Streeton Drive) facilities.

The Assessment also made recommendations about the installation of a pedestrian refuge on Fremantle Drive to provide safer access buses for the residents of the yet to be built aged facility.  Council considers that this refuge would be incompatible with any reconfiguration of Fremantle Drive to accommodate on-street parking.

Current considerations do not appear to take account of the increased utilisation of this area with the potential sale of Block 4 Section 24 and the consequences of any future changes arising from the Canberra Labor Club expansion and lease purpose changes.  The proposal for overflow parking from the Centre for Teaching and Learning is also at risk.

Council is also concerned about the developmental impacts on the Crowder Circuit, Teesdale Place and Fremantle Drive area.  Crowder Circuit is a normal narrow suburban street, but it currently has to cope with traffic to and from the Canberra Labor Club and ovals; these latest developments will impact further on this traffic corridor and potentially increase the traffic hazard at this choke point and at the intersection with Fremantle Drive.

Council is pursuing the matters with the Department of Land and Property Services.