The following is a Report, video recording and PowerPoint presentation of the meeting held on 17 April, 2020
Meeting with the Reid Residents Association – Listening Report
17 April 2020
Purpose of and background to the meeting
An online meeting was held at 6.30pm on Monday 6 April 2020 to brief the Reid Residents Association (RRA) on the UNSW City Campus Master Plan, seek feedback about the Master Plan and discuss the best ways to engage with the broader Reid community.
The meeting was facilitated by Harley McNamara from Communication Link and a presentation about the Canberra City campus Master Plan was provided by UNSW Canberra Program Managers, Luke Garner and Suzanna Holmes.
Attendees
Reid Residents Association
- Reid Residents and RRA Committee
UNSW Canberra
- Luke Garner
- Suzanna Holmes
Communication Link
- Helen Leayr
- Harley McNamara
What we heard
Initial questions raised by the RRA and responses by UNSW Canberra
Will the heritage rail easement be sustained in its current form?
Yes, it is a heritage listed site.
Will the Reid Early Learning Centre continue to be part of the campus?
The Reid Early Learning Centre has a lease with the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT). The childcare would likely remain with CIT until their move to Woden.
UNSW Canberra met with the Reid Early Learning Centre and they have been encouraged to put forward their feedback into the Master Plan.
Is having a childcare centre one of the terms of the ACT Government?
It wasn’t one of the terms discussed.
Where will university accommodation be positioned?
This has not yet been determined. The development of the Master Plan will help to shape what the campus may look like.
Feedback points provided by the RRA
About the campus design
- Maintain cohesion with heritage value of Reid – Most of the Reid suburb is heritage listed.
- – The RRA is interested to see how the design of the campus will look and blend in with the existing aesthetics and layout of Reid, as one of Canberra’s oldest suburbs.
- – A suggestion of engaging local heritage architects was provided.
- Design with architectural merit – Desire for design with high architectural merit.
- – There is no architecture yet developed in Canberra which seems to meet the standard that the RRA would expect. Perhaps look to international design.
- – Would like the design to be meritorious.
- – Would like it to be an award-winning designed campus.
- Consider effects of climate change in design for example build using materials that withstand hail.
- Due consideration for boundaries, in particular consider the boundary between St John’s Church and the Canberra City campus.
- Design to reduce light pollution into Reid, would not like to see lots of bright lights.
- Don’t follow the lead of other student accommodation in Canberra; don’t like the development of ANU student accommodation, or buildings on Flemington Road which are largely concrete cubes with splashes of fluro colours.
About the proposed accommodation facilities
- Concerned about large accommodation buildings and looking into people’s houses
- Want to maintain privacy
- Reid is a quiet suburb and would like to maintain this
Traffic and parking
- Concerned about on-street parking.
- Worried about increased vehicular and foot traffic in a traditionally quiet area.
- Would like to understand what the university will do to direct people towards the city and away from suburban streets, particularly when students are coming home at 3am from Civic.
- Access/egress considerations.
- Don’t want Reid to be more of a “rat run”, which it is already becoming
- Residents are against a through road from Constitution Avenue into the suburbs of Reid as has happened in Ainslie Avenue.
Childcare
- Would like to maintain a childcare facility
About the heritage railway easement
- Maintain the heritage site.
- Great natural barrier between campus and Reid residents.
- Would like it sustained in its present form.
- It creates screening so that homes don’t have to look into student accommodation.
- Interested in maintaining cultural heritage.