It's one of the oldest parts of Canberra and is now set to be transformed and become part of a major housing and transport hub. The causeway in Canberra's south could soon be home to more than a thousand new apartments and units.
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00:00 Tucked away behind Canberra's railway station, between the Kingston foreshore and the Jerrabombera
00:08 wetlands, some residents of the causeway feel out of sight and out of mind.
00:12 We're hidden, we're in the back blocks, we're a little country town in a big city.
00:17 That's exactly how we all feel.
00:18 Surrounding the heritage listed community hall, there are several dozen homes built
00:23 in the 1970s and mostly owned by the ACT Government, which is now pointing to examples like the
00:29 Campbell 5 precinct for what the East Lake area might become.
00:34 We envisage that there will be up to 1200 to 1500 new homes that will be built in the
00:41 East Lake area around the causeway.
00:44 This is an opportunity to provide more affordable housing and more public housing.
00:49 The Government also wants to link up businesses and the CIT in the west of Fishwick, as well
00:54 as revamping and possibly moving the train station to create a transport hub.
00:59 They have heavy rail going into somewhere which really is disconnected.
01:03 It's actually one of the worst arrivals in a modern city I've ever seen.
01:06 But Fishwick businesses argue their proposal to move the station east of the industrial
01:11 suburb has been ignored.
01:13 There's a great opportunity then to coincide with what's happening in New South Wales where
01:17 there's 30,000 people coming across the border every day.
01:20 Their plan would have removed the heavy rail corridor in favour of putting light rail in.
01:26 We'd actually like to see both provided with a new station at Kingston.
01:31 Some causeway residents like Donna say they've been left out of consultation and fear the
01:36 community will be broken up.
01:38 I want to know what's going to happen with us.
01:40 I don't want to live out there in one of those suburbs where you don't know your neighbour
01:44 and you can't get help if you need it.
01:46 The Government insists feedback has been and will continue to be listened to, with a draft
01:51 plan open for consultation until April 5.
01:54 [BLANK_AUDIO]