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Restaurant plan for
Garema Place halted
By FRANK LONGHURST. City Reporter
The Parliamentary Joint Com
mittee on the ACT has withheld its
approval of a variation to the City
Plan which would permit the demo
lition of the Garema Place toilet
block, and allow it to be replaced
by a restaurant-cafe complex.
The committee's reports on outstand
ing variation proposals in the 76th, 77th
and 78th series of variations were tabled
in Parliament yesterday.
The chairman of the committee, Sen
ator Reid (Lib, ACT), said afterwards
that the committee required more in
formation on the Garema Place pro
posal, which had been suggested by the
National Capital Development Com
mission and the Department of the
Capital Territory.
During its hearings, the committee
was told that businesses in Garema
Place feared that they might be cut off
from passing City Walk pedestrian traf
fic if a large structure were built on the
toilet block site.
Senator Reid said that the NCDC
and DCT had been asked for further
information on "arrangements to ensure
pedestrian access and visual continuity
between City Walk and Garema Place,
and what is intended for the future
development of Garema Place to ensure
that its present character, as an impor
tant place for public activities and as
sembly, is maintained".
The committee has deferred approval
of part of the proposed $21 million
worth of roadworks to provide public
access to the new Parliament House.
Senator Reid said that the committee
was concerned that the several mod
ifications and proposals suggested by
the NCDC and the Parliament House
Construction Authority had been pre
sented as one proposed variation.
The committee believed that these
should have been presented as separate
and distinct items, "particularly since
the total estimated cost is S20.9 mil
lion".
The committee had "reservations"
about the proposed ramps from Com
monwealth Avenue, Kings Avenue and
Melbourne Avenue, and "does not at
this time approve these parts of the
variations", or the proposed intersection
alterations at Kings Avenue - State
Circle and Canberra Avenue - State
Circle.
The other roadworks around the site,
including a perimeter road around the
building and a land-bridge with dual
carriageways from the rear of the exist
ing Parliament House to the perimeter
road, were approved.
The committee has also approved the
relocation of a cyclepath between Hay
don Drive and College Street, Belcon
nen, to allow the development of a
grammar school.
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