A collective action agenda which aims to “turn on and transform Civic” has been launched by the Property Council of Australia, Canberra CBD Limited and the Canberra Business Chamber.

The action agenda follows on from a discussion paper and public forum which brought together planners, architects, economists and policy makers to outline the steps needed to ignite the city centre.

“Despite strong desire among the community, and despite multiple government reports promising action, we are yet to see any meaningful, positive change in our city centre,” says Property Council ACT Executive Director, Catherine Carter.

“After a number of years of talk, it’s time for action. This agenda outlines the practical, commonsense steps we can take to enliven Civic and bring the beat back to its heart.

Jane Easthope, Chief Executive Officer of Canberra CBD Limited, says Civic remains “a place of untapped potential and economic opportunity.”

“Successes on the fringes of our city centre – such as those in Braddon and New Acton – hint at the potential of our city centre. Now is the time to drive a critical mass of economic activity and revitalisation of our city centre,” Jane says.

Targeted actions recommended include installing a new ‘big screen’ in Garema Place, enlivening laneways, and introducing population density targets.

New remissions for the controversial Lease Variation Charge are also on the agenda to encourage residential development and targeted adaptive reuse of vacant office buildings.

“While we need a coalition of champions willing to roll up their sleeves, one of the key drivers of change will be ACT Government leadership,” says the Canberra Business Chamber’s Chief Executive, Robyn Hendry.

“We have an engaged and committed community with a deep interest in seeing our city centre flourish. It’s time to work together to translate this enthusiasm into community action,” Ms Hendry concludes.