6. Non-Indigenous and Indigenous Heritage
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Capital Metro Authority Capital Metro Light Rail Stage 1 — Gungahlin to Civic Draft Environmental Impact Statement 6. Non-Indigenous and Indigenous Heritage This Chapter outlines the potential non-Indigenous and Indigenous heritage impacts associated with the construction and operation of the Project. This Chapter provides a summary of the Capital Metro, Canberra Light Rail – Heritage Impact Assessment prepared by Godden Mackay Logan Heritage Pty Ltd (GML Heritage) contained as Technical Paper 2 in Volume 2 of this EIS. The Project PEA (Parsons Brinckerhoff, 2014a) initial risk assessment for the Project identified the potential non-Indigenous and Indigenous heritage impacts risks presented in Table 6.1 below. Table 6.1 Initial non-Indigenous and Indigenous heritage impacts risks associated with the Project ID Potential impact Likelihood Consequence Risk rating Potential to result in direct impacts to existing heritage B.1 buildings and/or curtilages as a result of establishing light rail Unlikely Major Medium infrastructure in the vicinity of heritage items. Potential to result in impacts to the proposed ‘Canberra the B.2 Planned National Capital’ National Heritage Listed area, which Likely Moderate High includes a portion of the southern end of Northbourne Avenue Potential to result in indirect impacts to existing heritage places and/or curtilages as a result of changes to the heritage and B.3 Likely Moderate High landscape character of the area, particularly along Northbourne Avenue. Potential to result in Loss or damage to Aboriginal archaeological potential or places with Aboriginal cultural values, in particular within the northern portion of the study area as a result of land clearing and or excavation works. Particular areas for investigation include: the stabling depot and maintenance facility B.4 Possible Moderate Medium part of the alignment on Flemington Road that crosses the end of the Gurbur Dhaura ridgeline part of the alignment between Well Station Drive and Lysaght Street any areas outside the currently identified Project footprint. Impact to burial sites during construction including discovery of B.5 Unlikely Major Medium historic/European and/or Aboriginal burials. Potential for impacts on registered historical archaeology sites including: the James Coopers Historic Site B.6 Unlikely Major Medium an existing culvert on Flemington Road Gubur Dhaura (Aboriginal Ochre Quarry and Historic Mining Area. Parsons Brinckerhoff | 2207526A-ENV-RPT-007 RevC 153 Capital Metro Authority Capital Metro Light Rail Stage 1 — Gungahlin to Civic Draft Environmental Impact Statement 6.1 Environmental conditions and values 6.1.1 Historical overview of the route European colonisation of the area commenced in the 1820s with farming and grazing properties. There were both small and large estates, mainly used for grazing with some cropping near the Molonglo River. Following Federation in 1901, a long process began to establish a national capital for the newly federated Australia. In 1908, when the NSW District Surveyor Charles Scrivener was sent out to examine and survey potentially suitable sites for the federal capital he was directed by Hugh Mahon of the Commonwealth Parliament that: The Federal Capital should be a beautiful city, occupying a commanding position with extensive views, and embracing distinctive features which lend themselves to the evolution of a design worthy of the object, not for the present but for all time. This set the tone for the planned federal capital with a unique purpose, setting, character and symbolism. In 1911, land in the vicinity of what is now Canberra was chosen and repossessed by the Commonwealth Government for the federal capital. Griffin planning for Canberra The 1911 competition for the city design An international competition to design the new city commenced in 1911. In May 1912, after considerable debate and 137 entries, two Chicago architects, Walter Burley Griffin and his wife Marion Mahony Griffin, won the competition. In their designs they aimed to draw references from the broader natural setting of a place. The 1911 international competition provided the Griffins with an opportunity to design a visionary ideal city set in an undeveloped, open, and largely pastoral site. The resulting design paid attention to the setting and the site’s natural features: hills, watercourses and views. Griffin’s 1911 plan for the national capital was based on a geometry dictated by the landscape rather than the principal points of the compass. The city was laid out with vistas, axes aligned to the summits of four local mountains and a large central lake. Griffin planning for Canberra also provided for symmetry and geometry in response to the topography along the main approach road. Arterial roadways provided balance to the planned city design and linked the formal official ceremonial areas with local residential precincts. In this way, the main avenues were a means of ordering the city. Northbourne Avenue was part of this deliberate ordering of the new city landscape and the Griffins’ overall landscape design for Canberra included it as a major and symbolic approach to the central national area through the civic centre, which was the gateway to the political and administrative centre. Griffin planning for Canberra also included rail and tram transport in the city—a main station was planned for Civic and a tram line (which Griffin termed ‘street car’) ran north-south parallel to Northbourne Avenue. Planning for the Development of Canberra after Griffin The development of Canberra after the Griffins maintained Northbourne Avenue as a main arterial road for Canberra and the main entrance avenue from the north. Planning and implementation for Canberra’s growth undertaken by the National Capital Development Commission between 1958 and 1989, confirmed the importance of Northbourne Avenue as the main entrance route to the city by developing the Y-Plan for Canberra and public housing along the avenue. Subsequent plans, including the Canberra Spatial Plan (2004b) and The National Capital Plan (2008) have also highlighted the importance of Northbourne Avenue as the main entrance route to the city, in addition to maintaining the vision of this route as a main transport corridor as initially envisaged by the Griffins. 154 2207526A-ENV-RPT-007 RevC | Parsons Brinckerhoff Capital Metro Authority Capital Metro Light Rail Stage 1 — Gungahlin to Civic Draft Environmental Impact Statement 6.1.2 Non-Indigenous heritage A total of 26 heritage listed items were identified within the vicinity of the Project area. Table 6.2 sets out the listed and nominated non-Indigenous heritage places located within the Project study area. Appendix B of the Heritage Impact Assessment (Technical Paper 2) includes ACT Heritage listing documentation for all heritage items along the route and Australian Institute of Architect (AIA) citations for nominated places along the route. Appendix C of the Heritage Impact Assessment includes the National Heritage List (NHL) nominations for Canberra which encompass the route. Table 6.2 Non-Indigenous heritage places and objects within the vicinity of the Project Item name Location/Curtilage Register Status Canberra—Central National Includes Northbourne Avenue, Canberra National Nominated Area and Inner Hills Heritage List Canberra and Surrounding Includes Northbourne Avenue, Canberra National Nominated Areas Heritage List Canberra the Planned National Includes Northbourne Avenue, Canberra National Nominated Capital (Departmental Heritage List amalgamation of other nominations) City Hill Section 34 and all the land enclosed by the outer ACT Heritage Registered perimeter of the Vernon Circle road reserve, City Register Melbourne and Sydney 27 and 28 Northbourne Avenue ACT Heritage Registered Buildings City Sections 1 and 48 Register Havelock House 85 Northbourne Avenue ACT Heritage Nominated Turner Block 1, Section 42 Register Coggans Bakery 36 Mort Street, corner of Elouera Street ACT Heritage Registered Braddon Block 1 Section 28 Register Former AAA Building (CSC 212 Northbourne Avenue ACT Heritage Registered Building) Braddon Block 3, Section 3 Register NRMA House 92-94 Northbourne Avenue ACT Heritage Nominated Braddon, Block 8 & 9 Section 18 Register Haig Park Braddon Blocks 3, 6, 7 Section 8 and Block 1 ACT Heritage Registered Section 14; Turner Blocks 4, 9–13, 18, 19, 22 Register Section 66 and Blocks 1–3, 9 Section 65 Open Systems House 218 Northbourne Avenue ACT Heritage Nominated (formerly Churchill House) Braddon Block 10 Section 7 Register ‘Expansion’ Mosaic Mural wall 150 Northbourne Avenue (Part) ACT Heritage Registered on Canberra Rex Hotel Braddon Block 9 Section 8 Register object Northbourne Housing Precinct Dickson Block 4 Section 1, Block 1 Section 12, ACT Heritage Nominated Block 41 Section 6, Lyneham Block 8 Section 51 Register Trees of the Former CS&IR Swinden Street, Downer ACT Heritage Registered Experiment Station Register Well Station Homestead Off Nullabor Avenue ACT Heritage Registered Section 5 Block 2 (Part), Harrison Register Gungaderra Homestead and Otway Street/Sapling Street, Harrison ACT Heritage Registered part of Well Station Road Blocks 10 and 12, and Block 12 Section 2, Register Harrison Dickson Library Dickson Place ACT Heritage Registered Dickson Block 13 Section 30 Register Parsons Brinckerhoff | 2207526A-ENV-RPT-007 RevC 155 Capital Metro Authority Capital Metro Light Rail Stage 1 — Gungahlin to Civic Draft Environmental Impact Statement Item name Location/Curtilage