Belconnen vs Tuggeranong

[Bus 400]

Tuggeranong have better drivers

[Buzz Killington]

tell that to all the wankers sitting on 90km/h in the right lane of the parkway this morning

[Bus 400]

How about, Tuggeranong Depot has better BUS drivers.

[Buzz Killington]

[bubzie]

purlease....i went to richardson shops the other  day, and nothing interesting happened. (And heck, even kambah/chisholm!)
i went to stabwood shops like a week or something ago, and spotted at least 5 mullets..on women alone.

[Snorzac]

I agree with BVR Kambah is a hole!

[Buzz Killington]

parts of it are, yes. But you get that in any suburb.

Except Charnie and Richardson.100% hole.

[Barry Drive]

Perhaps we can ALL agree that Gungahlin is a bigger hole than Belconnen and Tuggeranong combined.

[Busnerd]

don't agree...

[Buzz Killington]

neither do i. Aside from the fact that many gungahlin suburbs have the houses far too close together.

[CNG]

Tuggeranong is always so gloomy and stormy, its very depreasing.

[Busnerd]

Funny, I always thought that about belconnen and its asbestos era buildings

[Snorzac]

Well atleast ACTION don't have to re-route belconnen services via centrelink like they have had to do with the 63 to cater for the bogans in monash

[Busnerd]

At least we arent insecure about how bogan our suburb is by making a fake desto via centrelink like page via centrelink 13

[Rioter]

Forget the north/south divide! Try east/west of Northbourne! (I don't cross it unless i have to ...)

[p_stampy]

I've never hear of people comparing sides of northbourne.

Which side do you like?

[400:D]

West side of Northbourne and Northside, Gungahlin is the best area though. The southside is just....just like everything east of northbourne is...

[Sir Pompously]

West side of Northbourne and Northside, Gungahlin is the best area though. The southside is just....just like everything east of northbourne is...

So the southside has higher housing prices and on average a larger income per person?

[400:D]

So the southside has higher housing prices and on average a larger income per person?

If it is who cares about higher down south, the only reason for that is majority are newer houses than northside, and a larger income...does that just mean there are more snobbish people there?

[Sir Pompously]

Not really, as compared to the snobby areas such as Red Hill (Which is central), those houses on the southside are actually in the middle class (unlike those in Central). And what I was saying is that you tried to make a point by saying the south is much like all East of Northbourne, which is actually funny as the east side has a few suburbs in there where housing prices are higher (Upper middle?) and incomes are higher. Also, Gungahlin is just a flat, boring grass plain with a few townhouses stuck in dirt. Unlike the better planned and landscaped older suburbs of Canberra, it is the worst thought out craphole Canberra has to offer.

[CNG]

so am I snobby because I live in red hill? 

[Ed]

Not really, as compared to the snobby areas such as Red Hill (Which is central),

You couldn't be talking about that block of flats next to the Red Hill shops, were you?

[400:D]

Not really, as compared to the snobby areas such as Red Hill (Which is central), those houses on the southside are actually in the middle class (unlike those in Central). And what I was saying is that you tried to make a point by saying the south is much like all East of Northbourne, which is actually funny as the east side has a few suburbs in there where housing prices are higher (Upper middle?) and incomes are higher. Also, Gungahlin is just a flat, boring grass plain with a few townhouses stuck in dirt. Unlike the better planned and landscaped older suburbs of Canberra, it is the worst thought out craphole Canberra has to offer.

I'm not comparing the east of northbourne to the southside, they're nothing alike really and middle class southside...cool. Gungahlin is badly planned and on a flat plain but hibberson street is a nice place to go because it's not all one big shopping centre, Belconnen is asbestos heaven but has some nice old buildings, civic has some nice buildings, but is unclean, central canberra is well just has a weird vibe, tuggeranong has lake tuggeranong which is nice I guess, Woden, the last time I was in woden someone gave me the bird.

Every side has goods and bad things. I'm not really in to this whole thing as what's the point although I do prefer North and West.

[Sir Pompously]

I'm not comparing the east of northbourne to the southside....

You Said:

The southside is just....just like everything east of northbourne is...

Of course every side has good and bad (Except Gungahlin), however if you are not really into the thread's topic then don't post in it As it is a fun thread, prepare to cop flack (And of course, the truth).

[400:D]

You Said:
Of course every side has good and bad (Except Gungahlin), however if you are not really into the thread's topic then don't post in it As it is a fun thread, prepare to cop flack (And of course, the truth).

You are right, I must embrace the hating of the southside . Where every time I've been down there someone's flipped the bird at me.

[Buzz Killington]

Where every time I've been down there someone's flipped the bird at me.

Lol, love it. Southside pride.

[400:D]

Lol, love it. Southside pride.

Funny way of showing pride .

[CNG]

Even I live it red hill, wouldn't say I am proud of it. Wish I still lived  in chapman.

[400:D]

I think we can all agree Central is worse than North or South

[smitho]

Anyone tuning into accident reports coming over the ACTION communications system can't help but notice that most days, there seems to be a higher incidents of road prangs on the north side compared with southside....might be partkly due to better roads on the southside.

In the 'olden days' used to be said that southside had better roads (eg comparing Adelaide Ave/Yarra Glen with Belconnen Way, or Tuggeranong Parkway with Flemington Rd) because National Capital Development Commission's senior staff mainly lived south of the Lake (B-G).

[Buzz Killington]

Despite a development application being lodged by the Hyperdome a month or two back which clearly showed a redevelopment of where Myer is currently situated, it is only just now being mentioned by The Canberra Times now that Myer has confirmed they're leaving.

JB Hifi and Harris Scarfe are set to divide up the downstairs portion together with a couple of specialty stores, with Big W moving in upstairs.

Good move I say. The centre needs something fresh and the Myer there never had the range of the bigger stores in Belco and Civic anyway.

[smitho]

Today's CVT report also refers to Myer's plans for a new store to be built at Woden Town Centre next year.

[Bus 400]

Did anyone hear the news a few weeks back about the most dangerous intersections in Canberra?

I know it may be old news but all the ones reported in the media were in Belconnen.

[smitho]

Belconnen's road "system" was built on the cheap (hardly any flyovers, for example) and this shows up in the road accident statistics. The folklore is that NCDC planners all lived on the southside, so Woden Valley got decent roads, but Belconnen missed out.

Other reason (I suspect) is because Canberra was growing so fast when Belconnen was being built that they had to economise on roads and just get the most basic facilities provided....also the Fraser Government (1975-83) had no great love for Canberra, and weren't as generous on the funding of ACT infrastructure as when the McMahon/Gorton and Whitlam governments built Woden Valley.

[Kramden]

I like your historic perspectives there Smitho.  Well informed as usual.  Recalling the NCDC brings back fond memories of my early days here when Leylands and Volvos were the order of the ACTION day...and Kingston had a real bus depot!

I've been here 35 years now.  Lived north to begin with (Spence and Flynn) then down south (Gowrie) when it was newly settled.  No Hyperdome or Tugg Interchange in those days.  No T depot actually.  Roads were all done many years ahead of settlement.  Great planning.

I liked Tugg when I was there ('81-'94).  I moved to Richardson for a while.  But when I return these days it (Tugg) seems SO different.  I can't put my finger on it but it's a 'vibe' I get when I'm running buses down that way.  In fact one of the pleasures I've found in this job is that I get around to most areas.  In fact I could could count on one hand the burbs I've not taken a bus through in that time.

Upon to returning north in '94 (Florey then Flynn) I found Belco a little more bogan-ish.  Sounds rich coming from someone fresh out of Richardson!  Perhaps it's that my 'new' local shopping centre was/is Charnwood...er, Stabwood.  Or as my adult kids call it: Charmingwood - a great place to be seen in bare feet or perhaps slippers in winter!  Seriously, my girls (when they were younger) used to point out how many people they'd spot roaming the centre in their tatty ugg boots or mocasins (sp?) and say straight faced: "Daddy why do people over here wear slippers at the shops?".  They were quite rightly appalled even at a tender age.  We still have a laugh about it.  Of course they're oh-so-sophisticated now at 23 and 25 they wouldn't be seen dead in Charny.

And while I'm sticking it to the place I might as well add that a driver colleague had the nasty experience (on Aust Day) of picking up four pissed bogans from Charny who proceded raising hell on his bus and harassing passengers.  He's Irish so they had a go at him as well.  He wisely called it into base, cops were called, etc, etc...nothing happened.  I've had two of the four young offenders on my bus one night.  Never again.  Ugly Australians.  I'll shut the door on them or I won't move the bus.  God help some of my Indian colleagues should they happen to have the misfortune of picking up any of these dirt bags.

Anyway, to the question Belco v Tugg?  I think I'll flip the bird at both and say I'd rather live in Hall.  Rural, fairly close to the things I need, by car at least.  No bogans!

[400:D]

Bogans are great! 

[CNG]

I like your historic perspectives there Smitho.  Well informed as usual.  Recalling the NCDC brings back fond memories of my early days here when Leylands and Volvos were the order of the ACTION day...and Kingston had a real bus depot!

I've been here 35 years now.  Lived north to begin with (Spence and Flynn) then down south (Gowrie) when it was newly settled.  No Hyperdome or Tugg Interchange in those days.  No T depot actually.  Roads were all done many years ahead of settlement.  Great planning.

I liked Tugg when I was there ('81-'94).  I moved to Richardson for a while.  But when I return these days it (Tugg) seems SO different.  I can't put my finger on it but it's a 'vibe' I get when I'm running buses down that way.  In fact one of the pleasures I've found in this job is that I get around to most areas.  In fact I could could count on one hand the burbs I've not taken a bus through in that time.

Upon to returning north in '94 (Florey then Flynn) I found Belco a little more bogan-ish.  Sounds rich coming from someone fresh out of Richardson!  Perhaps it's that my 'new' local shopping centre was/is Charnwood...er, Stabwood.  Or as my adult kids call it: Charmingwood - a great place to be seen in bare feet or perhaps slippers in winter!  Seriously, my girls (when they were younger) used to point out how many people they'd spot roaming the centre in their tatty ugg boots or mocasins (sp?) and say straight faced: "Daddy why do people over here wear slippers at the shops?".  They were quite rightly appalled even at a tender age.  We still have a laugh about it.  Of course they're oh-so-sophisticated now at 23 and 25 they wouldn't be seen dead in Charny.

And while I'm sticking it to the place I might as well add that a driver colleague had the nasty experience (on Aust Day) of picking up four pissed bogans from Charny who proceded raising hell on his bus and harassing passengers.  He's Irish so they had a go at him as well.  He wisely called it into base, cops were called, etc, etc...nothing happened.  I've had two of the four young offenders on my bus one night.  Never again.  Ugly Australians.  I'll shut the door on them or I won't move the bus.  God help some of my Indian colleagues should they happen to have the misfortune of picking up any of these dirt bags.

Anyway, to the question Belco v Tugg?  I think I'll flip the bird at both and say I'd rather live in Hall.  Rural, fairly close to the things I need, by car at least.  No bogans!

Gosh the indian drivers are good at their job but they are so damm quiet, I wounder how they get through each day, also was that irish driver the one speaking to ed and you the other day at tuggers?

[Kramden]

Gosh the indian drivers are good at their job but they are so damm quiet, I wounder how they get through each day, also was that irish driver the one speaking to ed and you the other day at tuggers?

Yes, that would be him in his standard issue IRA cap.  It's getting like you can almost identify each driver by the style of head gear they wear!  Err, you're probably too young to know about the Irish Republican Army (IRA).  Google it.

[ajw373]

Belconnen's road "system" was built on the cheap (hardly any flyovers, for example) and this shows up in the road accident statistics. The folklore is that NCDC planners all lived on the southside, so Woden Valley got decent roads, but Belconnen missed out.

Other reason (I suspect) is because Canberra was growing so fast when Belconnen was being built that they had to economise on roads and just get the most basic facilities provided....also the Fraser Government (1975-83) had no great love for Canberra, and weren't as generous on the funding of ACT infrastructure as when the McMahon/Gorton and Whitlam governments built Woden Valley.

Can you give some examples Smitho? I am racking my brain and cannot think of any flyovers in Woden (except where Hindmarsh goes under the Parkway). If anything I would have said that Belconnen had the better formed roads, with all the major roads built as dual carriageways from the beginning. If the traffic stats are now showing problems in Belconnen I would be putting that down to the urban infill and expansion with road infrastructure that hasn't kept pace with the additional demand, rather than a design fault from day dot.

[Bus 400]

What about the whole length of Adelaide Avenue/Yarra Glen & the Tuggeranong Parkway? They are both access roads to the Woden Valley/Weston Creek that have only flyovers (except the big roundabout).

Now Smitho, could some of the planning/money set aside for Belconnen of been used to pay off WW2?

[ajw373]

What about the whole length of Adelaide Avenue/Yarra Glen & the Tuggeranong Parkway? They are both access roads to the Woden Valley/Weston Creek that have only flyovers (except the big roundabout).

Now Smitho, could some of the planning/money set aside for Belconnen of been used to pay off WW2?

The Parkway goes around the back of Woden and is a major arterial road that Belconnen doesn't have nor need, unless you count the GDE which is built to the same spec but clearly came much much later. As for Adelaide Ave, yes it does indeed have a couple of fly-overs, but as you point out once it gets to Woden proper it hits a big roundabout and turns into any other dual carriageway road. If we are going to have a tit for tat on flyoevers, Belconnen does have two, one next to the mall, where the bus road and Joynton Smith cross under Loxton Street and also where the bus road passed under Chandler street at the end of the old interchange.

As I said I don't beleive there is any major difference in road design. Both were done to a standard much higher than what is done now, with the future in mind. The only roads in Belconnen that I beleive were orginally done poorly are Kingsford Smith Drive over Mt Rogers, which should have been dual carriageway, rather than single carriageway dual lane all the way to Kuringa Drive, and William Hovell Drive which should have also been from day dot, or designed as a dual carriageway/built as single carriageway until demand required it.

If there are issues in Belconnen now it is simply because the road system hasn't kept up with developments. One such example is the Lathlain Drive extension to Belconnen Way. Very poorly done and see's a lot of traffic, maybe more than the designers first though.  I see recently they have removed the option to turn right onto Belconnen way from the left hand lane. I presume due to cars in that lane blocking cars wanting to turn left, though from what I've seen since it was removed cars still get blocked anyway as there isn't enough room between the entrance to Bunnings and Belconnen way for all turning cars to queue so the back up towards the enterance to the front of the markets. Again the whole thing should have been dual carriage way with lights to the Markets, Bunnings and Belconnen way much better syncronised.

There are also a number of roads that were designed for future expansion, read duplication that maybe should be done but haven't. IMO Kuringa Drive from Kingsford Smith Drive being one, along with Aikman Drive and William Slim Drive. There are also some roads that have been buggerised by recent developments, Ginninderra Drive being the prime example with all the bloody intersections and lights it now has, none of which are syncronised.

[smitho]

Can you give some examples Smitho? I am racking my brain and cannot think of any flyovers in Woden (except where Hindmarsh goes under the Parkway). If anything I would have said that Belconnen had the better formed roads, with all the major roads built as dual carriageways from the beginning. If the traffic stats are now showing problems in Belconnen I would be putting that down to the urban infill and expansion with road infrastructure that hasn't kept pace with the additional demand, rather than a design fault from day dot.

Three flyovers on Adelaide Ave-Yarra Glen, three on Tuggeranong Parkway as it passes through the Woden Valley district....

(PS: Sorry for delayed response - only just saw your question).

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

Even though Tuggeranong Lake most often smells like sewage with dead Kangaroos leaking into it, but the Belconnen and Gungahlin areas are too modern looking, hotter, and baron as hell. Tuggeranong has more pleasant green life.