Item 6.1 Tasman Highway Memorial Bridge
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
P IMAGE FROM DENTON CORKER MARSHALL CITY OF HOBART TASMAN HIGHWAY MEMORIAL BRIDGE RESULTS FROM STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS ON THE PRELIMINARY CONCEPT DESIGN JANUARY 2017 1 B ACKGROUND The Queens Domain Master Plan 2013, endorsed by Council, identified access to the park from the city, surrounding suburbs and foreshore as a major constraint to community use and enjoyment of the park. This impediment has occurred incrementally through the development of the current system of highways, which now surround the majority of the Domain. The Master Plan recommends the development of six new pedestrian/shared use bridges, including one linking the Cenotaph to the Soldiers Memorial Avenue on the Domain. The Australian Government announced on 19 April 2015 that it would provide $8 million from the ANZAC Centenary Public Fund for the development of a bridge to connect the Cenotaph/Regatta Grounds precinct with the rest of the Queens Domain. The State Government will provide funding to the Council for the project and will be reimbursed by the ANZAC Public Fund/Australian Government. The development of the bridge has been listed by the City of Hobart as an Inner City Action Project (ICAP). The City of Hobart Project Brief requires that the project must: link the Hobart War Memorial Cenotaph across the Tasman Highway to the Soldiers Memorial Avenue on the Queens Domain; link from the vicinity of the Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre to ensure the recreational facilities within the Queens Domain are beneficially connected to each other and to the City via the proposed Brooker All Abilities Access Bridge connecting the Domain to the City at Bathurst Street; provide an all abilities connection for the proposed bridge to the Intercity Cycleway is essential; and provide an all abilities access way linking the existing Intercity Cycleway through to a point of connection near the Davey Street and Hunter Street intersection as requested by the Macquarie Point Development Corporation. Denton Corker Marshall (Architects and Urban Designers) was engaged by the City of Hobart to undertake the project. The consultant team also includes Arup, BPSM Architects and Inspiring Place. Inspiring Place’s principal role was to prepare and implement a Stakeholder Engagement Strategy. During November 2016 – January 2017, Inspiring Place arranged consultations with the following key stakeholders: Returned Services League of Australia (Tasmania Branch); Legacy Tasmania; Friends of Soldiers Memorial Avenue; Macquarie Point Development Corporation; TasPorts; Royal Tasmania Botanical Gardens; Glebe Progress Association; Royal Hobart Regatta Association; Tasmania Police; and Hobart Bicycle Advisory Committee. The Tasmania Fire Service and Ambulance Tasmania were also invited to be involved in the consultations but did not respond to the invitations. This report outlines the approach and key findings from the consultations arranged by Inspiring Place. The City of Hobart were responsible for arranging consultations with: Tasmanian Department of Premier and Cabinet; Government House; Transport Infrastructure Services Division/Department of State Growth; Department of Veteran Affairs; Cenotaph Reference Group; Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre; UTAS Domain Campus; Hobart Access Advisory Committee; 2/40th Memorial Group; and Queens Domain Advisory Committee. Inspiring Place was asked by the City of Hobart to assist with presentations to a number of the above stakeholders. 2. A PPROACH Inspiring Place contacted the key stakeholders to arrange individual meetings to discuss the preliminary concept design for the Tasman Highway Memorial Bridge. A handout was prepared and provided to stakeholders at each of the meetings. The handout provided a summary of the preliminary concept design. This covered: background context to the project; design considerations; key functional features; consultation and engagement; and a range of graphic images and cross sections of the proposed bridge design. The meetings were conducted during the period of Tuesday 29th November 2016 to Wednesday 18th January 2017. The stakeholders were invited to forward any additional information or comments to Inspiring Place. 3. K EY F INDINGS The notes taken from consultation meetings with stakeholders are provided in Attachment A. The key finding from the consultations was that there is widespread support amongst the key stakeholders for the Tasman Highway Memorial Bridge preliminary concept design. Stakeholders were generally impressed with the design features and commented that it was contemporary, elegant, functional, respectful and reflective of the place values – both natural and cultural. All stakeholders were mindful of the tight timing for the project to complete detailed design, approval, tenders and construction to coincide with the Centenary of Anzac celebrations in 2018. There was no significant concern or issue raised by stakeholders that should necessitate any delay with the decision for the project to now progress to detailed design stage. A number of points were raised during stakeholder consultations but these can be assessed and addressed during the detailed design stage of work. These points include: resolving the final exterior materials and finishes to be used on the bridge; determining forward planning measures to help reduce the impacts on traffic flow during the bridge construction period; resolving all shared path connections between the new bridge and existing paths on the Domain and Cenotaph areas; addressing concerns about the existing crossing of Davies Avenue on the western side of the proposed bridge (n.b. whilst this is outside the scope of the current design project it would benefit from further consideration); resolving the construction options for the western end of the bridge e.g. use of gabions or other design elements; seeking additional professional advice regarding the heritage values in and around both the landing locations for the proposed bridge; seeking arborist advice on the potential impacts for the 100 year old trees located near the western landing area of the proposed bridge; investigating the potential interpretative opportunities and techniques that could be associated with the proposed bridge, landing areas and trail connections; investigating the potential safety and risk issues and whether the bridge design needs to accommodate any measures to reduce this risk; the capacity for vehicles to continue to access land used for the Royal Hobart Regatta and other events on the southern side of the Cenotaph; and the potential to reduce graffiti issues on the exterior finishes The naming of the proposed bridge is a matter for the City of Hobart to consider at a later stage in the project and would be a separate process outside of the preliminary or detailed design stages of work. TASMAN HIGHWAY MEMORIAL BRIDGE PRELIMINARY CONCEPT DESIGN NOTES FROM STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 Legacy Tasmania 10.30am Tuesday 29th November, Legacy House, Hobart Legacy representatives : Kerry Gunson, Paul Crew, Peter Hodge and Helen Wattling Key Points from the Meeting Legacy presented a powerpoint on the potential opportunity to commemorate Legacy’s place in Hobart’s cultural heritage, how the role of Legacy is changing, how to recognize and tell the story of Legacy families as part of the Centenary of Anzac in Hobart, examples of other public assets/infrastructure being named (including Legacy Way in Brisbane). Legacy seeks Council to recognize the valuable role of Legacy (past and future) by naming the bridge ‘Legacy Link’ to: acknowledge the place of families who bear the cost of war; commemorate earlier generations of Australian servicemen and servicewomen and honouring those who continue that legacy today; place Tasmanian heritage at the forefront of national 2018 Centenary of Anzac commemorations; and align with Anzac values by putting volunteerism in our community at the forefront. Consider the bridge naming as Legacy Link would commemorates Hobart’s unique heritage in establishing Legacy to support the families of deceased veterans; honours those Hobart citizens who continue the service of Legacy after 93 years with a fitting tribute; enhances the city’s vision of reconnecting the cenotaph to the Domain with a bridge of unique significance for Hobart; aligns with the vision for the Queens Domain as a park for families by promoting the cultural values of the Domain; commits to future deceased veteran’s families by providing Legacy with a significant public profile at a time of declining public awareness and low corporate support; and reflects federal government, state government, Hobart City Council, DVA and ESO support. Legacy were advised that the naming of the bridge was outside the concept design process and would be considered by the City of Hobart and possibly other agencies later in the implementation process. The representatives indicated support for the preliminary concept design and in particular noted: the good design features that were contemporary, respectful and reflective of the place values and in particular the significance of the Cenotaph alignment and memorials; that the Cenotaph remained the central feature and was framed by the designed wings of the bridge; considered the bridge design would provide good interpretation opportunities (including the high wings); recognize the importance of achieving good connections/links at both ends of the bridge to existing trails, facilities and features; design provided a good gateway entry to the