Project status: Closed

Section 76 in north Watson lies between Aspinall Street and the Federal Highway, next to the Starlight Apartments. Now that construction of Maliyan Park is complete and the park has opened, the site is being prepared for housing and open spaces to protect the trees and wildlife habitat.

In 2021, the community helped the government develop the Place Plan and Development Concept, which is guiding future development on the site. Planning changes recommended in the Place Plan and Development concept were implemented through Territory Plan Variation 372, which was approved in April 2022.

We are delivering

Section 76 is part of the ACT’s urban renewal program to help us build a compact, liveable city.

The site will include:

• approximately 200 new dwellings
• a Demonstration Housing project (approximately 20–30 dwellings) that delivers and tests innovative housing typologies and models to increase housing choice, such as co-housing
• the retention of existing high-quality trees, which are important for wildlife and to help reduce the urban heat island effect.

We have delivered

• a neighbourhood park (Maliyan Park) that provides Watson residents with quality public open space with activities for people of a range of pages and play styles. Maliyan Park celebrated Ngunnawal culture through its design, artwork and interpretive signage. The park was officially opened in October 2024.

How you've had YourSay so far

In 2018 to 2021, you helped us develop the Place Plan and Development Concept to guide the development of the site. You told us what you would like to see in the neighbourhood park and walking and cycling connections to the site. We also heard that you wanted the development to be sensitive to the local character of the suburb—to be sustainable, inclusive, resilient, leafy and active.

The listening report on the consultation is available in the document library.

You also had your say on the draft Territory Plan Variation 372, which is now in place.

Community consultation on the Subdivision Development pre-Development Application was held between 31 July and 14 August 2023.Pop-up stalls illustrating the proposed subdivision design for Section 76 Watson were held at the Watson Shops on Friday 11 August and on site on Saturday 12 August 2023.

It is anticipated that physical works associated with the delivery of the Section 76 Watson subdivision will commence in the later half of 2025. The works are anticipated to take approximately 6 months to complete. The work will include:

• Select removal of existing trees to allow the construction of site servicing works and for the purposes of remediation of contaminated land. All tree removals have been approved by the relevant authorities as part of the SDA/DA process.
• The construction of site servicing infrastructure including a cul-de-sac road, provision of utilities (e.g. water, electricity, stormwater, telecommunications etc), active travel links with Aspinall Street and Federal Highway and minor landscape works such as grassing and street trees; and
• Remediation of heavy metals in the north-eastern corner of the site. This area of land contains naturally occurring heavy metals such as lead and zinc and will be capped by select layers of soil of varying types. The area will be stabilised with dryland grass and will form part of the surrounding open space network.

NOTE – Temporary Traffic Management signage will be in place for the duration of the works phase of Section 76 Watson. There will be intermittent needs to disrupt traffic flows along Aspinall Street and Mary Kitson Street in order to construct the works in a safe manner. Notification of such disruptions will be provided to surrounding residents affected by the changes in traffic flows.

The bulk of Section 76 Watson will be fenced off temporarily with signage posted onsite as well. As it is considered an active construction site, we ask that you please avoid accessing the areas that are fenced off and follow all site signage for your own safety. Construction works will occur along the Aspinall Street frontage and western boundary of Maliyan Park.

Access to Maliyan Park will remain available although access may be temporarily disrupted to accommodate the works when and if necessary.