Method

Research
A detailed literature and plan search was undertaken concentrating on a series of sources relevant to the Parliamentary Zone. Although some of this material has been eclipsed by later events, it reveals something of the Zone’s planning and social history and provides a context for many of the decisions that have been made over time. To communicate something of this context, the material has been distilled into a 20th Century Chronology charting national events in politics, economics, federalism, infrastructure development, Canberra. (refer to Parliamentary Zone Review Background Papers)

Advisory Panel
Early in the project the Authority appointed an Advisory Panel to assist with the review. Chaired by Authority member, James Birrell, the panel also included Michael Ball, Romaldo Giurgola, AO, Geraldine O’Brien and Professor James Weirick.

Consultation
To canvas the opinions and ideas of people in regard to the development of the Parliamentary Zone, a program of consultation was conducted across a broad cross-section of people. Focus Groups were convened in many Australian locations to record what the public thought of Canberra and to get their response to some early project initiatives. Detailed briefings and discussions were held with some 27 Stakeholder groups, including the national institutions and Government Departments in the Zone, business, community and key national design and planning professional groups.

Statement of Principles
The Advisory Panel developed a Statement of Principles to guide and focus the work of the review. This fundamental piece of work resulted in the projects theme - the place of the people.

Identification of Critical Issues
In the next stage of work the results of the research, the various consultation inputs and an appraisal of the existing condition of the Zone were used to compile a list of Critical Issues for the review. The issues that have been highlighted in the review are those that will make the Parliamentary Zone the place of the people.

Organisational Framework
The Organisational Framework was developed to show how future development in the Zone could be ordered to meet the Statement of Principles. This Framework is essentially spatial principles that reflect the important fundamentals of the original Griffin design and highlight the relationship between functions, building and landscape.

Objectives
In response to the analysis of the critical issues, a set of project objectives was developed. These objectives elaborate on the Statement of Principles and are important in qualifying the character of the future development of the Zone.

For each objective, a series of intentions to further guide development have been identified.

A number of key initiatives, have also been listed against each objective.

The project objectives, the intentions and initiatives combine to form a Statement of Objectives.

Initiatives
The initiatives are major works, plans, policies and other projects that address the objectives and intentions. The scope of these initiatives and their importance in developing the Parliamentary Zone asthe place of the people have been described in the report.

Implementation of the Plan
Implementation of the initiatives outlined is to be incremental over a 50-year period. To illustrate how this might occur, the years 2001, 2002-2013, 2014-25 and 2026-2050 onwards have been selected as the four stages of implementation. 2001 and 2013 are to be important dates for Canberra. In the first year of the 21st century, the nation will be celebrating the Centenary of Federation; 2013 will be the centenary of the naming of Canberra. Beyond these dates, the time frames of 2014 – 25 and 2026 – 2050, are nominal and include hundreth anniversary of important events in the Capital. These periods have also been used to illustrate what can be achieved over the fifty years with consistent commitment and investment in the Parliamentary Zone.

To supplement government funding, the Authority is developing a business plan to indicate how financing and operation of the initiatives might be accomplished.