Monash Dr to be removed from National Capital Plan

Buzz Killington · October 27, 2009, 07:51:31 PM

The ACT Greens are claiming victory after reports the National Capital Authority (NCA) is set to remove the proposed Monash Drive from the National Capital Plan.

The proposed road would cut through the Canberra Nature Park and closely border residential properties in Campbell, Ainslie, Hackett and Watson.

The Greens have been opposed to the plan.

As part of the Greens' parliamentary agreement with Labor, the ACT Government wrote to federal ministers asking for the plan to be dropped.

Greens MLA Caroline Le Couteur says it is likely the NCA will move to dump the proposed road when the authority meets this week.

"It's basically on the edge of the nature park, we don't want to see the nature park disturbed," she said.

"It's also just on people's backyards - we don't particularly want to see them disturbed.

"So from a local environmental point of view, it's not good for the people and it's not good for the nature park."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/27/2724919.htm

Bus 400 · October 27, 2009, 11:15:35 PM

The Greens are on the right track:

Don't build it & watch the plooms of smoke coming from cars stopping & starting every few minutes on Northbourne Avenue.

Don't build it & watch a school student get killed by a northside resident short cutting through Ainsile

Don't build it & let a perfectly good public transport corridor disappear.

The Love Guru · October 27, 2009, 11:44:11 PM

Quote from: Bus 400 on October 27, 2009, 11:15:35 PM
The Greens are on the right track:

Don't build it & watch the plooms of smoke coming from cars stopping & starting every few minutes on Northbourne Avenue.

Don't build it & watch a school student get killed by a northside resident short cutting through Ainsile

Don't build it & let a perfectly good public transport corridor disappear.

That's the best post you have made in a long time. There is hope for you yet!

Barry Drive · October 28, 2009, 12:53:38 AM

Quote from: Chris_Guru on October 27, 2009, 11:44:11 PM
That's the best post you have made in a long time. There is hope for you yet!

Would have ('of') been better if 'plume' and 'Ainslie' were spelled correctly. But apart from that, fully agree - Monash Drive would be a perfect busway or light rail corridor between City and Gungahlin.

ajw373 · October 28, 2009, 07:54:41 AM

Quote from: Martin on October 28, 2009, 12:53:38 AM
Would have ('of') been better if 'plume' and 'Ainslie' were spelled correctly. But apart from that, fully agree - Monash Drive would be a perfect busway or light rail corridor between City and Gungahlin.

No Monash Drive would make a perfect roadway for traffic BYPASSING the city. Northbourne Avenue devoid of this traffic would then make the perfect public transport corridor (bus lane and/or light rail). Running public transport on a road like this would be like running public transport down the Tuggeranong Parkway or Parkes Way. Simply pointless.

Bus 400 · October 28, 2009, 10:30:46 AM

Quote from: ajw373 on October 28, 2009, 07:54:41 AM
No Monash Drive would make a perfect roadway for traffic BYPASSING the city. Northbourne Avenue devoid of this traffic would then make the perfect public transport corridor (bus lane and/or light rail). Running public transport on a road like this would be like running public transport down the Tuggeranong Parkway or Parkes Way. Simply pointless.

Ah, but the 757 Xpresso could use Monash Dr to the Airport. Routes 51-59 could go along Monash Drive & then down Ainsile Avenue. This could of meant that the buses would get to the City in around half the time it takes now in peak periods, thus making public transport more attractive to Gungahlin residents. Especially when routes 30,31 & 39 would transport the Northbourne garbage.

Quote from: Martin on October 28, 2009, 12:53:38 AM
Would have ('of') been better if 'plume' and 'Ainslie' were spelled correctly.

The word plume is one of those words I've never had to spell until now. So I just guessed & Ainslie is just one of those words that will get me most of the time

Buzz Killington · October 28, 2009, 06:51:26 PM

Does anybody know if Monash Dr was on the plans when the houses nearby were built? If so, it's a case of these people buying houses there knowing full well a road was planned to go past there, and then whinging about it when it comes time to build.

ajw373 · October 29, 2009, 08:18:30 AM

Quote from: Buzz Killington on October 28, 2009, 06:51:26 PM
Does anybody know if Monash Dr was on the plans when the houses nearby were built? If so, it's a case of these people buying houses there knowing full well a road was planned to go past there, and then whinging about it when it comes time to build.

Of course it was. Just look at the end of Phillip Avenue. It was going to go somewhere.

I think I have said this before but years ago when I was in high school (circa 1988) I did a geography assignment on urban planning. At the time I had a look at what was planned for Canberra, most of it still isn't built. However if you look around you will see roads that seem out of place, IE end in odd places, look too big for current traffic flows, but the reason was they were all built for the future. The other thing that was designed for the future are the underground services such as water and sewerage.