P L A N I T STRATEGIC
ON BEHALF OF ENVIRONMENT, PLANNING AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORATE
KENNY SCHOOL SITE
ESTATE DEVELOPMENT PLAN
PRE-DA CONSULTATION
The Act Government Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate are preparing to submit a Development Application (DA) for an Estate Development Plan for the future Kenny School Site, located on Well Station Drive, Kenny.
ABOUT THE ESTATE DEVELOPMENT PLAN
An Estate Development Plan (EDP) prepares land so that it can be developed in the future. This EDP Development Application will create a new block of land zoned Community Facility in the Territory Plan, suitable to be developed for a school (shown in the image below).
The EDP will provide details of how the block will be serviced and includes other planning considerations such as bushfire, water sensitive urban design, site access and traffic.
The EDP DA is not proposing a design for the school, this will happen at a later stage. You can read more about the ACT Government's commitment to new schools for Gungahlin here.
An online consultation session will be held on 2 March 2021 at 6pm.
This session will describe more about the EDP process and DA being submitted and provide a chance to ask questions. There will also be further opportunities to comment on the Development Application when it is lodged.
When you register an email will be sent to you with an invitation to the online meeting.
PROVIDE COMMENTS
Please provide any questions or comments you have about this EDP proposal.
FAQS
WHY HAS THE HIGH SCHOOL BEEN PROPOSED FOR THIS SITE?
The north of Canberra is an area that has grown markedly over the past decade. One of its key needs is a new high school. The school will be a place that not only provides a safe and stimulating learning environment for 800-1000 year 7-10 students, but also serves as community hub after school hours where sporting facilities, meeting rooms and halls are available for community use.
The new school will serve growing student demand locally as the south-east of Gunghalin develops. It also needs to be in a location towards the south of the Gungahlin area so that it is easy for parents to drop off and pick up children on the way to and from work. The school will be located within the broader Kenny Future Urban Area, which is in the preliminary planning stage. It is expected that 1,000-1,700 dwellings will be built in this new suburb in the next 5-10 years.
To encourage sustainable travel, the new school will also be close to the light rail and park and ride facilities. A light rail stop is 400 metres away from the proposed site and a new park and ride facility will be completed this year on the south-eastern corner of Well Station Drive and Flemington Road.
WHEN WILL THE NEW SCHOOL BE BUILT?
Construction is expected to start on the new school in late 2021. It is due to open to year 7 – 10 students in 2023.
HOW WILL THE TRAFFIC IMPACTS BE MANAGED?
Traffic impact assessments have been undertaken to inform and support planning for the new high school. The ACT Government are looking at intersection upgrades to support potential increases in traffic, as well as improved public transport infrastructure including a new park and ride on Well Station Drive across from the light rail stop, due to start construction in March 2021.
HOW WILL THE SITE’S DEVELOPMENT AFFECT THE MITCHELL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT CENTRE?
The future of the existing Mitchell Resource Management Centre is being reviewed, and options for its potential relocation or remaining on the existing site are being considered.
HOW WILL THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS BE MANAGED?
The ACT Government is creating the new Nanjing Mada reserve at Kenny to protect endangered species and enable work to begin on the suburb, including the new school. Reserves like these help us balance the impact of urban development on our wildlife. Approximately 160 hectares in the southwestern part of Kenny will be rezoned as nature reserve to support the Box Gum Woodland ecological community and Striped Legless Lizard habitat under a proposed draft variation to the Territory Plan released last year.
HOW CAN I HAVE MY SAY?
The development of this site will occur in stages and you can have your say at each stage.
The first stage of the project centres on the release of the estate development plan for the site. The estate development plan, once finalised, will provide details of how the school block will be serviced and include other planning considerations such as site access and traffic, bushfire and water sensitive urban design.
We are currently seeking early feedback on the draft estate development plan before it is lodged as a Development Application. There will be further opportunity to comment after the Development Application is lodged.
The second stage of the project centres on the design and construction of the high school in Kenny, to deliver 800 permanent places for Year 7 to 10 students by 2023, with the capacity to expand to 1000 places. Consultation and design presentation for the school will occur in April 2021.
At the same time, there will be reviews of services such as the Mitchell Resource Management Centre and upgrades to transport connections, including light rail, park and ride facilities and roads, as part of the broader development of Kenny.
While these different projects have their own timelines, they are interconnected. As the ACT Government plan for these projects, they want to work closely with the local community and key stakeholders to seek their perspectives on what is important to them about the projects and the future of the area.
WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE?
For questions about the estate development plan for the site, contact: hope@planitstrategic.com.au
The estate development plan is expected to be lodged as a Development Application in March 2021.
For enquiries about the Kenny school, email act.education@act.gov.au or call 0466 430 093
For transport related information, please visit https://www.cityservices.act.gov.au/