Category: Curtin

The North Curtin residential area (the Curtin horse paddock site) is proposed for residential development of 1300 dwellings.

The ACT Government issued a Report on Community Consultation done in 2024.
The key themes it identified are (in order of numbers of responses)

• transport and connections (pedestrian and cycle paths, access to light rail, bus service, connections to Curtin and Yarralumla shops)
• green space and environment (landscape design, green spaces, efficient transport and travel, climate conscious building design)
• amenity and infrastructure (needs cafe, green recreation spaces)
• built form and housing (favouring townhouses, duplexes, apartments up to 4 storeys (not up to 6 or 8)
• accessibility (people with disability, age-friendly design, affordability)
• First Nations representation
• Weather impact mitigation (Yarralumla creek and flooding)
• safety (including flood risk, active travel paths, lighting at night)
• consideration for horses

The ACT Government has responded to the Legislative Assembly petition to install traffic lights on Cotter Rd for the intersection with Fryer Rd, which is the sole access for the Amberfield  retirement community.

The full response is here.

As a summary of the main points:

• Costs of any upgrade to the intersection are the responsibility of the lessee (LDK, the developer and owner of Amberfield);
• planning here is the responsibility of the National Capital Authority (NCA) rather than the ACT Government;
• traffic markings and lanes are done by ACT Roads, who are considering and discussing some improvements;
• ACT government is against traffic lights as slowing down traffic on Cotter Rd too much;
• ACT government is against adding bus stops because it’s not safe to cross Cotter Rd, unless a safer crossing can be provided.

Without traffic lights what might this safer crossing be? an overbridge or underpass?  but the response also states

LDK Amberfield intends to submit a potential infrastructure upgrade option to the NCA and ACTGovernment for future consideration. Roads ACT have suggested that this option also consider a path connection to the existing Cotter Road path underpass, further to the east.

We will wait for further news.

After the AGM in November 2025 Dr Roslyn Prinsley (Head, Disaster Solutions, Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions, ANU) presented a talk on nature-based solutions for flood mitigation.

The slides of the presentation are here:  Curtin Residents 2025 NbS 23 November-v3.pdf

The edge of Curtin is bordered by the flood-prone Yarralumla Creek that is squeezed into a concrete channel, but it has potential to be more natural parkland. It would be good to have a more natural watercourse beside our blue-green pathways.

The plans for the proposed development of affordable housing units in Strangways St are at the stage of public consultation, ahead of a Development Application expected shortly.  The proposal is by Marymead CatholicCare Canberra and Goulburn, for 54 units in 5 storey buildings on the block beside the Holy Trinity church (currently the site of the presbytery/priests house).

In summary: this proposal is smaller than the recent Wesley Mission project across Theodore St. It has more parking per unit (66 parking places for 54 units) and has 39% tree canopy cover, more than the ACT target. Its three buildings have 5 storeys of flats joined at every level, with entry at street level and a lower ground floor car parking level. The architecture includes the design of the internal spaces for social and community interactions, and visually interesting roof lines that pay attention to the neighbouring church. The roof is below the level of the church spire.

You can hear and discuss more at two public pop-up sessions in the next week in Curtin Square next Saturday and the following Thursday:

• Session 1: Saturday 14 June, 10:30am – 12:00pm
• Session 2: Thursday 19 June, 3:00pm – 4:30pm

CRA held a public meeting on Sunday 24 November 2024 with presentations on two projects to build affordable rental and supported housing in central Curtin.

One is by Wesley Mission for affordable rental units and supported housing units to be built on the almost-empty block on Martin St, across Theodore St from the shops, in the area to Theodore St and Carruthers St.

See https://wesleycurtin.au/

for a description of the project, pictures, and details of consultation events:

• Thursday 28 Nov a pop-up in Curtin Square
• 4 December a workshop

The second proposal is for affordable rental units on the block next to Holy Trinity church and the Ron Reynolds ACT government training centre, at 3 Strangways St, currently the presbytery (priests’ residence). The project is by Marymead CatholicCare, described in a presentation here. Detailed plans are not yet available.

The Curtin Residents Association annual general meeting and a public meeting will be in the Woden Valley Uniting Church, Gillies St Curtin (across Carruthers St from the shops) on Sunday 24 November.
We expect to have a short formal AGM followed by public meeting on interesting issues. There will be refreshments and opportunities to chat.

3pm AGM

• Welcome
• President’s report (looking back at last 12 months)
• Treasurer’s report
• Elections of office bearers and committee

3.30pm Public meeting

Current issues: affordable housing developments

Presentations, questions and answers

• presentation from Anne Kirwan, MaryMead CatholicCare on the affordable housing development proposal for Strangways St. next to Holy Trinity church
• Andrew Tyndale, Wesley Mission on the affordable housing and MyHome development proposal for the block on Theodore St across from the shops

We asked four questions on issues related to Curtin planning, transport, and living conditions, to all of the parties and independent candidates for the Murrumbidgee electorate in the ACT Legislative Assembly elections 2024.

The summary of their answers is here ElectionResponsesSummary

The full comments that they made are on a separate page here ElectionPartyResponses-V4.