6.1 Background

The National Capital Plan is required to set out general principles and policies to be implemented throughout the Territory, for planning national and arterial road systems.

The interaction between land use activities and transport is important. The disposition and size of the centres for major employment and other uses places different demands and stresses on the transport system and the physical fabric of the City.

The hierarchical system of roads, developed successfully in the new towns of Canberra, provides a high standard of safety and service to all road users.

The overall transport system comprises the road network, car parking facilities and public transport. The efficiency of the road system depends, not only on the physical provision of infrastructure, but also on the operational policies adopted for the use and control of facilities including public transport.

The main elements of the national and arterial road systems are shown in the General Policy Plan at Figure 1.

The National road system are those roads and highways which support the role of Canberra as the National Capital by:

• providing the principal means of access between the National Capital and the State capitals, and between Canberra and the major national highways
• being designed for symbolic, formal or National Capital purposes
• being roads whose principal purpose is to provide access to National Capital facilities and vantage points within the Territory or, being roads located on land declared as National Land under the Act.

Roads which provide principally for intra and intertown traffic collection and distribution are arterial roads, which in the ACT have been classified under earlier planning policies as parkways (or freeways) and arterial roads. The main elements are shown on the General Policy Plan at Figure 1.

The arterial road system supports the urban structure of Canberra by:

• forming the principal access between town centres, industrial centres, major retail centres and residential areas
• providing access between the separate towns of the urban area.

Standards used in the planning of national and arterial roads should reflect the transport and symbolic functions that they perform and support the urban design, environmental, heritage and land use requirements of the corridor in which they are located.

The National Capital Plan defines the national and arterial road systems within Canberra and the Territory. The effective operation of these systems of roads depends on the planning and design of the total road network.

To ensure the efficiency of the national and arterial road systems, planning and design of all roads should meet nationally recognised practices and standards consistent with the traffic function of the road.

Efficient operation of the national and arterial road systems also requires that an effective public transport and priority system be established. It is important that the provision of public transport and the implementation of related policies by the ACT Government keeps pace with residential, commercial and industrial development needs. These policies should aim to minimise the consumption of energy and to enhance the physical environment of the Territory.

Provision will be made for the Very Fast Train route through the ACT following resolution of land use, transport and environmental concerns. After resolution of those concerns, a specific route would be the subject of an amendment to the National Capital Plan.

The General Policy Plan (Figure 1) identifies some of the arterial roads as 'proposed'. Final alignments of these roads are not yet determined. Some flexibility as to the precise alignments shown on this plan for proposed arterial roads must be expected. However, the interpretation placed on the intent of the Plan shall, in each case, be the subject of consultation with the Authority to ensure that detailed proposals are not inconsistent with the Plan.

Some of the proposed roads were the subject of the Gungahlin External Travel Study, initiated by the National Capital Development Commission and completed by the National Capital Planning Authority.

The final resolution of the location, scale and timing of these roads will depend on the outcome of consideration of the proposals by the Commonwealth Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Australian Capital Territory; similar consideration by the ACT Government; and environmental impact assessments. Final roads as approved following these processes will be incorporated in the National Capital Plan at an appropriate future time.

Click here to go to 6.2 Principle for Transport