The Oaks – stage 3 – DA202037978

Submission close 28 January 2021 – email EPDcustomerservices@act.gov.au

The Oaks comprises three 16 storey towers and a 3 storey serviced apartment building located in the north of Woden between Ivy and Trilogy.

We are concerned about the increase in the height and scale of stage 3, the inclusion of a separate serviced apartment building in the place of green space and traffic flows around the north of Woden.

Additional four storeys

The zoning in the Phillip Precinct Code for this area is 12 storeys with an additional 4 storeys per block for developments that are close to public transport and within the building hierarchy. The subdivision of the block has allowed an additional 4 storeys on multiple blocks which is not in the spirit of the law to provide mixed building heights.

This proposal increases the building height of stage 3 from 11 storeys (73 apartments) to 16 storeys (178 apartments) leading to three 16 storey towers instead of one. There is a significant increase in the number of apartments, from 401 to 506 across the site, an increase of 26%.

The greater bulk and scale will lead to increased overshadowing, light and noise. We recommend a reduction of height for both stage 2 and 3 of the development to minimise these impacts.

Parking and traffic flows

While the Oaks fulfills the Government’s policy of urban infill, high density living is leading to significant impacts on parking and congestion on the traffic network. Due to the lack of visitor parking guests must park in the public carpark opposite the apartments.

The WVCC has heard numerous representations from residents about traffic flows in the area and the difficulty in accessing Launceston Street from Irving Street. With the significant level of development in Woden (25 residential towers earmarked to date) traffic flows around Launceston Street and Melrose Drive will become further congested in the morning peak as traffic from the south converges on the area.

The ACT Government has identified the Irving/Launceston St for signalisation however another exit to Callum St would also be welcome.

It is concerning that traffic modelling does not include the traffic movements induced from the future population in the high-density residential towers allowed across Woden due to the zoning in the 2018 Phillip Precinct Code.

We request a traffic study on the impact on traffic flows from the significant number of apartments and new residents forecast to live throughout Woden.