Priming up for Parklands
Friday, 17 December, 2010
As Crace's northern parklands come closer to completion, the thinking behind these beautiful open spaces is really starting to become clear.
Matthew Frawley, Crace's landscape manager, says the vision for the parklands is as a peaceful oasis amongst the hustle and bustle of suburban life. Spread across two separate areas—one to the east of the suburb and one to the west—the recreation spaces are being developed for generations of Canberra families.
At the eastern end of the parklands sits the northern ponds, which combine water sensitive urban design in a family friendly environment. This area, off Nuduur Drive, will include a kids playground, landscaped adventure area and cycle way.
At the western end will sit a beautiful "sitting space", a park area filled with exotic trees, including flowering pears and oaks, framed by a stand of native trees endemic to the Crace area. This area will form a natural buffer to the suburban areas beyond.
"The parklands are really starting to come together and the recent rains have made a tremendous difference," Matthew says. "It's terrific to see how well the plants are settling in and already the wildlife, including many native birds, has started to move in.
"I think this is an amenity that residents will really use and enjoy."
Did you know?
Open spaces at Crace, including local parks, hilltops and natural buffers, cover about a quarter of the entire suburb. In comparison, normal ACT Government planning standards mandate only about 10 per cent of land for open space.
