Key changes from the draft to the final East Lake Place Plan include:

• strengthening the Place Principles to incorporate community feedback;
• clarifying the description of the Character Precincts within East Lake, including identifying opportunity for some housing in the Former Landfill Precinct as a long-term opportunity and greater clarity of proposals around Hume Circle
• increasing the provision of open space in the Mildura Street precinct, particularly around Hume Circle
• improving the proposed street and active travel networks to identify a future connection to the proposed Dairy Road development
• clarifying the size and location of community facilities across the precinct
• increased guidance on sustainability measures, such as urban heat mitigation and smart city initiatives, and
• Updated implementation actions, including:
  • Update to proposed building heights in the Causeway and Railway precincts. Heights in the Causeway are identified between 2-8 storeys
  • Heritage and environmental considerations added, such as the need for buffers at the edge of the developable area that interface with the Jerrabomberra wetlands, and
  • More detail about the further analysis needed in the Railway Precinct for the railway museum and station.

The East Lake urban renewal precinct is identified as an urban intensification area in the ACT Planning Strategy (2018) and as a category 1 change area within the Inner South District Strategy.

The inner South District Strategy identifies East Lake as a sustainable urban renewal and regeneration precinct on the edge of Jerrabomberra Wetlands. It outlines that East Lake will provide a diverse mix of housing types including social, community and affordable housing. The district strategies also outlines that East Lake will house people close to employment, education and recreational opportunities with good linkages to Canberra Railway Station, as an important transport hub, and the Jerrabomberra Wetlands and Lake Burley Griffin for recreation.

The planning for East Lake incorporates the directions set out in the Inner South District Strategy.

East Lake is located on the south-eastern edge of Lake Burley Griffin. The site covers parts of Kingston, Fyshwick and Griffith and includes the Canberra Railway Station, the Mildura Street industrial/commercial area and the growing Canberra Avenue east-west corridor linking the city with Queanbeyan.

East Lake is immediately bounded by Kingston Foreshore, Jerrabomberra Wetlands and Canberra Avenue, and covers approximately 100 hectares.

Strategically located where the Canberra–Sydney interstate railway station meets Canberra’s public rapid transport services and the busy Canberra Avenue corridor, the area has been identified as being of strategic importance for urban growth and renewal since 2004 in the Canberra Spatial Plan.

The East Lake area was first identified for possible future urban intensification in the 2004 Canberra Spatial Plan. Since then, the Territory has undertaken a range of preliminary planning investigations in consultation with the community and key stakeholders.

East Lake is well-positioned to contribute to Canberra becoming a more compact and efficient city. The East Lake preliminary investigations and studies undertaken in consultation with the community and key stakeholders since 2004 have explored how the area could be renewed.

The planning and engagement outcomes from past engagements have formed a part of the information gathering for the future visioning of East Lake. Recent engagement ensures we consider the needs of the current community, which has changed in recent years with the development of Kingston Foreshore, and takes into account current policy settings.

The East Lake Place Plan can be viewed using the links below.

• See the Draft East Lake Place Plan Summary
• See the Draft East Lake Place Plan - Part 1
• See the Draft East Lake Place Plan - Part 2

Key priorities in the Place Plan

East Lake will offer diverse housing choices in The Causeway area. The railway station will be a transport hub with residential and commercial mixed-use development. The whole area will have lots of connected green links and opportunities for community facilities. It will offer opportunities for business, light industry and education, including the CIT campus, which could be a hub that links skills, innovation and industry.

Key proposals in the Draft East Lake Place Plan include:

• introduce a diverse range of housing, including medium density, social and community housing
• create a new mixed-use precinct around an upgraded railway station, which will become a multi-modal transport hub with new public spaces and connected to local public transport and active travel routes
• co-locate the railway museum with an upgraded railway station to allow this important community asset to thrive and tell the rail history of the area
• introduce new streets and pathways to improve links within East Lake and to the surrounding suburbs
• celebrate the existing heritage elements in East Lake, such as the Causeway Hall, to improve education and links to Jerrabomberra Wetlands
• connect the CIT Fyshwick Trade Skills Centre to the ACT innovation sector. This precinct would attract future thinkers and industry such as electric vehicle, renewable energy and advanced manufacturing companies to work with staff and students to underpin innovation and economic development in Canberra
• provide for community uses, including a school if required, that are close to new public transport stops, active travel routes and co-located to create community hubs
• remediate the landfill area to allow for new formal and informal recreational opportunities, but keeping the opportunity for this area to be realised for appropriate development in the longer term
• allow for a new information centre near the gateway to the Jerrabomberra Wetlands that offers the opportunity for cultural sharing and for education and information about land rehabilitation.