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Canberra Brickworks - Latest news

Canberra Brickworks Development - Submissions and documents

Dudley Street Upgrade - Submissions and documents

 

Most recent update 20 December 2023

The news item of 7 December detailed the four Development Applications associated with the Brickworks, and included YRA's submissions to the two DAs due on 8 December.  YRA has now completed submissions for the DAs for each of the Precinct 1 (closes 22nd December) and Precinct 3 (closes 11 January 2024).

Click to read YRA submission on Precinct 1

Click to read YRA submission on Precinct 3

Update 7 December 2023

There are currently four Development Applications associated with the Brickworks development. The YRA has lodged submissions on the first two of these.

Submissions lodged by YRA to DAs closing on December 8

The YRA lodged submissions on these two Development Applications.

Development Application no. 202341982
Click to read YRA submission on 202341982

PROPOSAL FOR ESTATE DEVELOPMENT PLAN – Canberra Brickworks Precinct
https://www.planning.act.gov.au/applications-and-assessments/development-applications/browse-das/development-application-details?da-number=202341982&amendment-version=

Development Application no. 202342069
Click to read YRA submission on 202342069

PROPOSAL FOR RENEWAL AND RENOVATIONS of existing heritage brickworks building, developing surrounding land for mixed use purposes and associated works – Canberra Brickworks Precinct
https://www.planning.act.gov.au/applications-and-assessments/development-applications/browse-das/development-application-details?da-number=202342069&amendment-version=

Other Development Applications associated with the Brickworks Development

The links below are to two further Development Applications currently open for public comment.

PRECINCT 1 - BENTHAM ST, LANE-POOLE PL, WOOLLS ST, DENMAN ST
(Closes 22 Dec 2023)

PROPOSAL FOR PRECINCT 1 FOR RESIDENTIAL USE DEVELOPMENT - proposal for 129 residential apartments contained within 5 buildings up to three storeys with attics, a shared basement, contained within Precinct 1 of the Yarralumla Brickworks EDP, private courtyards, open space, landscaping and associated works.
https://www.planning.act.gov.au/applications-and-assessments/development-applications/browse-das/development-application-details?da-number=202342095&amendment-version=

PRECINCT 3 - BENTHAM STREET, DENMAN STREET
(Closes 11 Jan 2024)

PROPOSAL FOR PRECINCT 3 RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL (CARPARK) DEVELOPMENT - construction of 22 residential units up to three storeys contained within Precinct 3 of the Yarralumla Brickworks EDP, 2 levels of basement car parking, residential carparking within enclosed space underneath of the residential units, private courtyards, open space, landscaping and associated works.
https://www.planning.act.gov.au/applications-and-assessments/development-applications/browse-das/development-application-details?da-number=202342157&amendment-version=

Update August 2023

DOMA held a fourth public presentation on 13 July. They've now made available a video presentation of the evening. Read more to see an update summary and the link to the video presentation.

Fourth public presentation
DOMA held its Fourth Public Presentation on 13 July. The focus was the Final Estate Development Plan (EDP) including the redevelopment of the heritage core and the first residential stages consisting of apartments and townhouses.

The EDP is expected to be submitted in August and, subject to final government approval, construction is expected to start around mid-2024.

Shared pathway
DOMA will also construct a shared pathway on the south side of Denman St as part of the Brickworks development.

Video of public presentation
A video of the public presentation is available on the DOMA Brickworks Community website.
https://www.brickworkscommunity.com.au/

Update July 2022

Doma is working with various agencies to fine-tune their plans for the Canberra Brickworks Precinct. They’ve lodged a revised Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and expect assessment by relevant agencies by August/September 22. They’ve relodged their Draft Estate Development Plan (EDP) with the Suburban Land Agency (SLA) for endorsement. They’ve submitted their Heritage Interpretation Strategy (HIS) to ACT Heritage for endorsement.

Doma is also working to address concerns raised in community submissions. Once the EIS, draft EDP and HIS are reviewed and endorsed, Doma will produce the EDP and Development Application (DA) for initial works. They’ll submit these after holding at least one public forum and an opportunity for public comment in late 2022. Construction is unlikely to start before the first half of 2023.

The Community Panel (which includes YRA representatives) continues to meet regularly with Doma and the SLA. Outstanding concerns include the actual location of the proposed bike path along Denman Street and parking arrangements in Bentham Street, Lane-Poole Place and Denman Street. These arrangements will ultimately be the responsibility of the ACT government rather than Doma.

Update July 2021

The YRA has made a submission on Doma’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Brickworks Development. Read our full submission here.

This is one of two opportunities that the community will have to make formal submissions on the proposal. The next and final opportunity will be towards the end of the year when Doma is expected to submit its final Estate Development Plan. Once the final Estate Development Plan is approved there will be limited scope for any further action.

Key issues flagged in our submission on the EIS include call for:

  • No reduction in the number of public car spaces because of the provision of private car spaces in excess of requirements under the Code.
  • More public car parks and bicycle parks.
  • Free car parking for workers at the brickworks to deter workers from parking in nearby streets for free.
  • Community involvement in the design of the shared pathway along Denman Street that will impact car parking at the Uniting Church.
  • Mitigation measures to ensure activities such as tennis, basketball and BBQ facilities likely to attract large groups, particularly near Lane-Poole Place, do not have a negative impact on neighbours.
  • Relocation of buildings that are proposed for construction on top of the ridge towards the brickworks so that they are not visible from the southern approach (i.e., from the Cotter Road/ Dudley Street)
  • Retention of as many healthy trees as possible.
  • On the assumption that Canberra Transport will not route a bus into the Brickworks, that car sharing and taxi facilities be required.
  • Measures to ensure acceptable water and soil quality.

Doma’s draft EDP will be circulated to all government departments in late August. Doma then has the opportunity to amend its plans based on Government comments on the draft EDP and community comments on the draft EIS before submitting its final EDP towards the end of the year. The project is still on track for construction to commence around April 2022.

Update to June 2020

The ACT Government (Suburban Land Agency “SLA”) announced Canberra developer, the Doma Group, as the successful tenderer to develop the Canberra Brickworks Precinct in September 2019. The precinct covers an area of about 16 hectares and will include the conservation and adaptive reuse of the historic Canberra brickworks and construction of a maximum of 380 dwellings.

Doma has submitted a concept plan for ACT government agencies to review. It has also completed a revised Conservation Management Plan to be approved by ACT Heritage. The Community Panel, which was established by the ACT Government in late 2015 and includes representatives from the YRA, has continued to have monthly meetings to discuss some of the more detailed elements of the design with Doma and the SLA and to highlight issues of particular concern to the community.

Doma originally planned to present a draft Estate Development Plan (“EDP”) to the community in mid-2020. This draft EDP will be prepared following feedback from government agencies on the concept plan. The draft EDP will provide a basis for further discussion and input, but it is important to note that once the EDP itself is approved by the ACT government there will be very limited scope for community input or amendments to the plans.

For more information see  https://suburbanland.act.gov.au/canberrabrickworks/ and DOMA’s community consultation website: http://brickworkscommunity.com.au/

Meanwhile, all approvals concerning the Dudley Street upgrade and the new Brickworks Access Road have been finalised and a contractor has been appointed, so construction of the new Brickworks Access Road is expected to commence in 2020. The new Brickworks Access Road will be the main access point for construction, although there is no denying the prospect of some construction vehicles on Bentham Street and Denman Street due to dwellings that will front these two streets.

The ACT Government has also started surveying for proposed changes to the Kent Street Bridge. The YRA has pushed for improvements to be made at the intersection of Dudley Street and Novar Street prior to any upgrade to Dudley Street and it now seems likely that the changes to the Kent Street Bridge and the Dudley Street upgrade project will take place around the same time.

Brickworks Development Public Forum 29 October 2019

About 180 people attended a Brickworks Community Forum at the Yarralumla Primary School hall on 29 October 2019 to hear a presentation by the Doma Group, heritage consultants and architects for the Brickworks Precinct Development.

A consultant from the construction company BLOC spoke about the road design and the EDP. The EDP will cover precinct layout, road design, community accessible facilities, footpaths and cycle paths, treatment of all trees on site, sewerage infrastructure, stormwater, electricity, water and gas connections, waste strategies, bushfire risk assessment, landscaping master plan.  The timetable outlined at the forum was for the draft EDP to be presented to the community on 19 May 2020 with the final EDP ready for submission in about October 2020. The Environmental Impact Statement (“EIS”) process will run in parallel. The overall process has been delayed and we will advise our members once the draft EDP is ready for review.

Timeline and Process

Doma has indicated an intent to complete construction for the entire project within 5 years from signing of the contract.

The Brickworks Precinct Development Proposal by DOMA is required to go through the usual statutory approval processes, which include community consultation, before the final EDP can be submitted. This process was originally anticipated to take some 18 months.  As interim steps, a concept and draft EDP are to be developed for approval by the SLA.

The SLA have advised such approval is contingent on DOMA’s commitment to community engagement and that any changes from the proposal submitted in the tender process demonstrate improvements assessed the tender criteria (which also includes the list of parameters formulated by the YRA and others).

The Community Panel prepared a set of objectives, parameters and perspectives that was included as criteria for the tender process. The parameters include a list formulated with input from YRA members in 2015 – see Precinct Objectives (March 2016)  and Community Parameters and Perspectives (March 2016)

The heritage components of the development, including the Quarry Park and the Railway Remnants Park, must be completed within 5 years from signing of the contract and penalties apply for delays.

There is an interim deadline stipulated in the contract for the EDP and the contract can be terminated if the deadline is not met. 

Environmental approvals processes will run concurrently with the other statutory processes.

Remediation work for contaminated areas will need to be approved prior to the EDP being approved.