Australians are to be asked what they want their national capital to be in a community-consultation program launched yesterday. The program is to go beyond Canberra residents, planners, politicians, environmentalists, public servants to the ordinary people of Australia.
It began yesterday with the opening of a display at Floriade by the acting chief executive of the National Capital Planning Authority, Gary Prattley.
There had been no significant review of expression of the vision for Canberra for 30 years, he said. Griffin’s visionary plan was for a town of 75,000 and could not have anticipated transport and communications, environmental factors and the multi-cultural society. In the 1960s the new towns of Woden and Belconnen were planned. Now the authority was looking at the long-term vision for the Central National Area and wanted to find out what Australians wanted.
“”It is not just a matter of physical qualities or the provision of efficient facilities,” he said. “”It is also the sense of nation that we must replicate in our designs.”
The consultation process would look past the “”ever-present, but thin, veil of negativity about Canberra as the source of unpopular political decisions . . . to get to the real issues of national identity and aspiration.”
The process would include community forums, professional workshops, questionnaires, a toll-free phone, an advertising campaign and discussion with a wide range of demographic groups.
Before going Australia-wide it would begin with the half a million people who came to Floriade, half of whom came from outside Canberra but had some experience with the city. The display would give them a chance to say what they think about Canberra.
The information would feed in to the design process, so designers and planners would not be working in a vacuum.
Some initial design ideas worked out over the past few months would be circulated in a booklet with the questionnaire.
Mr Prattley said: “”Whether you support more vibrant activity in the Parliamentary Triangle, protection of the open spaces, waterfront development, inner-city housing or moving the Lodge, I hope you will join us in looking to our future national capital and support our quest for perfection.”