About.

GENERAL INFORMATION
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1 - Where is Forestry Place?
Forestry Place is the name given to the next evolution of the 11 hectare Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Yarralumla site (Block 7 Section 4 Yarralumla) that is bounded to the east by Banks Street, and to the south by Bentham Street. The name and branding reference the physical and social history of the site as a centre for forestry education and research.

2 - What was the site previously used for?
It was previously a CSIRO occupied site. A Federal Government decision in 2012 to consolidate CSIRO activities at Black Mountain, left the Yarralumla site, as well as many others, excess to their requirements.

3 - Who owns the site?
CSIRO sold the site to Gunyar Pty Ltd in June 2002, with a twenty year lease allowing CSIRO to continue to occupy the property. The Crown Lessee of the site is The Trustee for Gunyar A.C.T. Properties Trust. The beneficiary of the Trust is The Shepherd Foundation, a Registered Charity whose primary purpose is to assist children with hearing loss. The Shepherd Foundation is head quartered in Sydney and has a local presence in Canberra. Oakstand has partnered with The Shepherd Foundation to deliver the evolution of the CSIRO site to become Forestry Place, Yarralumla.

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HERITAGE PROTECTION

4 - The site has some significant heritage buildings and tree plantings. How do you intend to protect them?
The CSIRO Yarralumla site is currently included in the Commonwealth Heritage List. In 2017 Environmental Resources Management Australia Pty Ltd (ERM) was commissioned by the CSIRO to update the 2008 Heritage Management Plan for the site. The April 2018 ERM Heritage Management Plan.

Any further use or development of the site will be undertaken with consideration of the current Heritage Management Plan. This includes 20 metre curtilages around the heritage buildings. The location and condition of all heritage and significant trees have been documented and inform the design of the proposed master plan.

The proponent has worked closely with ERM Consultants to work through the heritage aspects of the site and determine how the Forestry Place plan can accommodate the existing heritage buildings, trees and features and ensure heritage values and heritage views are not impacted by the proposal.

5 - Has the Project received approval under the EPBC Act?
The Forestry Place project has recently received the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water approval under the EPBC Act for the master plan, subject to an amendment to the National Capital Plan.
A condition of the approval is the renomination of Forestry Place for a Commonwealth Heritage Listing upon completion of the development.

6 - What are the proposed uses for the three listed heritage buildings on the site?  
The adaptive reuse of the different heritage buildings includes small office, hotel or community uses. The adaptive reuse of the heritage buildings has been supported by the former Forestry School students, the Forestry Australia, Friends of Trees and the broader community.

The goal is to respect the heritage use of the buildings and their façades as well as their interior significance. A key aim is to have a project that is sufficiently economically viable to maintain the heritage buildings and sustain a tree renewal program.


TREE PROTECTION / REINVIGORATION & LANDSCAPING

7. Will there be changes to the existing trees and vegetation on the site?
Our goal is to work with the natural landscape integrating with the site’s topography. The proposed master plan has been informed by a location and condition survey of all trees on the site, and incorporates landscaping that will respect the site’s history and the significant trees.

There has been close consultation with Forestry Australia and Friends of ACT Trees who advise that they support the proposed tree removal program as many plantings require thinning and are reaching end of life. They have generously offered to advise the project’s landscape architect on appropriate tree species as the project progresses and collaboration and consultation on all matters relating to trees has been ongoing.


PLANNING
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8. What land use is currently permitted on the site?
Under the current National Capital Plan, the site is a ‘community facility’, which permits:
- Educational establishment
- Scientific research establishment
- Cultural facility
- Hospital, Health Centre
- Institutional use
- Church use
- Social/community facility

9. The purpose of Draft Amendment 97 (DA97) is to change the land use policy of the site from Community Facility to a mixed-use zoning allowing residential, aged care, commercial accommodation, community facility and ancillary commercial uses.
The site is gazetted as National land. What is the approvals process for development?
Because the current use by CSIRO is as a scientific research facility, the land is gazetted as ‘National’ land. The block is ‘Designated’ land subject to the requirements of the National Capital Plan. Where a variation to a Crown lease is sought for blocks identified as ‘National’ land, the process is undertaken through the Commonwealth Department of Finance. Typically, when land ceases to be used for Commonwealth purposes, the ‘National’ land status of a site is revoked under Commonwealth legislation. It will however continue to be ‘Designated’ land under the National Capital Plan. Approvals for development are required to be sought through the National Capital Authority regardless of the National land status of the site.

Once the National land status is revoked, any variations to the block’s Crown lease will be required to be sought through the ACT government Environment Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate.
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10 - Does the owner of Forestry Place, Yarralumla pay any Lease Variation Charge (LVC), and if so, who receives the payment?
Yes, if a proposed Crown Lease variation is deemed to increase the land value for the site, then an LVC charge is payable to the Commonwealth Department of Finance, as the site is ‘National Land’.  The charge is based on 75% of the value uplift excluding the value of improvements.

FUTURE USES

11 - What are the proposed uses for the site?
Forestry Place is proposed to be a mixed use development with residential, a small hotel and minor office in adaptive reuse of heritage buildings, independent living and aged care.

The proposal is for building heights of 3 storeys plus attic. The proposal envisages a mix of residential apartments, independent living units with an aged care component as well as the conservation of the heritage buildings with commercial adaptive reuse. The residential dwellings proposed are predominantly single level, dual aspect, oversized apartments providing the spaciousness of a home with large courtyards or generous balconies. The majority of apartments will be 2-3 bedrooms catering to the owner occupier market, offering the liveability of a home and the low maintenance benefit of an apartment. The combination of residential and independent living units along with aged care provides the opportunity to age in place.

12 - How much of the site will be developed?
The new buildings will be located in areas of existing development on the site, maintaining the treed and landscape setting. Seventy nine per cent (79%) of the site will remain open space with the building footprints occupying only 21% of the site.

13 - What height and density do you propose?
The topography of the site is undulating, and in places by as much as 15 metres. The current proposal is for building heights of 3 storeys plus attic, consistent with the Canberra Brickworks Development. The proposal envisages 250-300 residential and independent living units with an aged care component as well as revitalizing the heritage buildings with commercial adaptive reuse.

The Brickworks will include 380 dwellings with a residential density of 37 dwellings per hectare, Forestry Place is significantly less at 25 per hectare.

14 - What is your timeframe?
We took the time through July to October 2020 to develop a draft master plan with input from key stakeholders during an extensive consultation process, prior to taking the draft to the broader community for consultation in November 2020.

An application to amend the National Capital Plan was  lodged with the National Capital Authority (NCA).  The National Capital Authority (NCA) has agreed to release Draft Amendment 97 to the National Capital Plan, Block 7 Section 4 Yarralumla for public consultation from Saturday 11 November 2023 until Friday 22 December 2023.

Subject to approval, construction would be expected to commence within 2-3 years.

15 - Will I still be able to walk my dog through the CSIRO site like I do now?
We recognise the community has enjoyed access to the site and that is something we have incorporated into the design of the master plan.

16 - Will the proposed development have any impact on the use of the oval?
The oval is not within the boundary of the site and is managed by ACT Government.

17 - What will be the impact of increased traffic on the local streets?
A detailed Traffic Impact Assessment has been prepared by Stantec. The assessment has determined the increase in traffic is manageable with no significant impact to intersection performance (congestion and wait times) when comparing traffic before and after completion of Forestry Place.

Upgrades to the Novar Street/Dudley Street/Adelaide Avenue intersection (signalisation) have been completed relieving traffic congestion in advance of the Brickworks and Forestry Place development being completed.  

Transport Canberra and City Services (TCCS) has accepted the modelling which has been based upon the TCCS model and incorporates the Brickworks and Forestry Place traffic generation upon completion. Included in their considerations is that the CSIRO lease allowed for a further 10,000m² GFA, which if it had been realised, would have increased traffic flow to a similar level as the proposed development.

18 - What car parking arrangements are proposed for the site?
Car parking for the site will be provided consistent with the Territory planning requirements that correspond with the final master plan.

19 - How will Forestry place connect to the local bicycle and footpath network?
A shared path is proposed along the western side of Banks Street fronting Forestry Place from Betham Street to connect to the foreshore path north of Brown Street (subject to ESPDD and NCA Approval). The proposed shared path will enhance connectivity from the Yarralumla Shops, The Brickworks and Forestry Place encouraging green travel modes for the greater Yarralumla community.


COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

20 - How will you engage with the community?
Our approach has been to take the time to develop a draft master plan with input from key stakeholders, prior to taking the draft to broader community consultation.  We developed the draft master plan through multiple workshops and roundtable discussions with key community stakeholders from July to October 2020. We then sought feedback from the broader Yarralumla and surrounding communities in November 2020, prior to refining and finalising the draft master plan. A total of three thousand one hundred and seventy-six (3,176) interactions occurred with those who participated in the consultation process from July to November 2020. Following feedback from the NCA and community the master plan was revised and an amendment to the National Capital Plan was submitted.

The National Capital Authority (NCA) has agreed to release Draft Amendment 97 to the National Capital Plan, Block 7 Section 4 Yarralumla for public consultation from Saturday 11 November 2023 until Friday 22 December 2023.

We will continue to engage with the community during the assessment of the amendment to The National Capital Plan by the NCA.