Our Themes
Theme 1 - New place with a long past
- Our proposed concept includes a central community hub and meeting place around the Central Precinct, drawing people into the heart of the site
- The Central Precinct embodies a long and rich history predating the foundation of Canberra and represents a remnant of the rural history of the region
- The Central Precinct includes the original homestead stone cottage, kitchen and slab hut. These will be refurbished and repurposed, more recent alterations will be removed, new facilities will be included to enable adaptive reuse of the buildings
- The cottage is proposed to function as a simple pavilion for small to medium gatherings such as meetings, small conferences, activities, for example art and craft education and training
First Nations Cultural Heritage
- The understanding of the site will be informed by the local First Nations people associated with the place, their stories and recognition of what makes the place important
- Lendlease has a strong vision for Reconciliation and acknowledges and celebrates the proud heritage of Australia’s First Peoples
- Our Reconciliation Action Plan is at ‘Elevate’ status, the highest level to be awarded by Reconciliation Australia
- This RAP will be integrated in construction and operation at the Gold Creek site with best practices in procurement, culture and heritage interpretation
Theme 2 - A Caring, Inclusive and Safe Place
- The Central Precinct will be available for all the community to enjoy with proposed place activation initiatives be confirmed in consultation with the community
- The homestead building could support small to medium gatherings such as meetings, small conferences, classes for arts and craft, education and training
- Our design proposal promotes the security of all current and future residents, as well as the general public, including accessible pathways, discrete security arrangements for the residential areas, good lighting, sightlines and a design that supports passive surveillance
- Our extensive experience with building retirement villages shows that traffic is typically low speed and infrequent, with no through traffic
A Place for the Community to Enjoy
- Gold Creek will be an intergenerational precinct that welcomes all the community; that reduces barriers between generations and enhances community connections
- Our vision is to establish a ‘village square’ style community space, a central heart, where people from different generations will co-mingle, play, learn and grow with each other
Theme 3 - A Rural Oasis
- Existing landscape elements will contribute to creating a destination that captures the essence and history of the site with a sense of space and key views, whilst maintaining a scale that is suitable to the surrounds and minimising any impacts of change
- Our proposed design retains key existing trees and allows for community gardens and wellbeing areas
- We will deliver a space featuring more than 30% tree canopy and 30% permeable surface.
- The restored Homestead will be visible for the public, with views maintained from Gungahlin Drive and across the valley
Theme 4 - Sustainability
Through building a sustainable, beautiful precinct, we will preserve the memories of this historic site and ensure its stories are passed on for years to come
Our Sustainability Plan includes initiatives such as:
- 5-star Greenstar ‘communities’ rating
- 100% electric energy for the retirement living and homestead operations
- Low carbon transport options including cross-block active travel footpath link
- We will promote positive social sustainability outcomes, celebrating a proud local history from First Nations to present day.
Theme 5 - Ongoing Considerations
- The Central Precinct will come to life through a cohesive Interpretation Plan. This will be developed to celebrate the precinct's proud local history
- We will continue to refine plans for the precinct within the context of these themes with ongoing community engagement
- Community and stakeholders will be consulted throughout the development process
- Engagement actions will include meetings, webinars, information sharing and communication tools including the precinct website, plans and feedback forms
- Community engagement will provide scope for community feedback on the Preliminary Plan and any potential facilities, activities and partnerships that could deliver a vibrant intergenerational precinct.
