Vision

The Kingston Foreshore is Canberra's unique waterfront precinct with a strong  arts, cultural, tourism and leisure theme. The vision for Kingston Foreshore was to rejuvinate an under-utilised industrial area through the creation of retail, commercial, residential and recreational areas, while preserving the overall historical significance.

Through the Kingston Arts Precinct, Kingston Foreshore will become the leading arts, recreation, cultural  and community location in Canberra, providing a perfect blend of landscapes,  nature, art, history and people. The Kingston Foreshore will be somewhere  visitors and residents can experience life, art and nature in balance.

As well as  being the perfect place to enjoy Canberra by the lake, the precinct is becoming the city’s most  vibrant community hub which offers something for everyone. It's the perfect location for exercise enthusiasts to begin and end their physical activity or to celebrate a diversity of wildlife at the Jerrabomberra wetlands.

The overall vision for the Kingston Foreshore began with the  establishment of The Interim Kingston Foreshore Development Authority (the  Authority) in September 1995 by the ACT Government to advise on the future  planning, development and management of the Kingston Foreshore precinct. One of  the major focuses of the Authority was to ensure an orderly transition to the  Foreshore’s ultimate end as a mixed use waterfront precinct. 

The following principles were developed to meet the objectives of the precinct. The Kingston Foreshore would:

• meet Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) principles;
• complement the existing metropolitan structure; 
• provide a diverse range of experiences by allowing the community to  access and use the site in multiple ways; 
• reflect and strengthen the unique qualities of the natural and built  environments and the identity of the Canberra community; 
• deliver environmental and quality of life dividends, without placing any  undue burden on the public purse; and
• have a 10-15 year project life, so that development meets need and  demand.

A number of activities have been undertaken by the ACT Government to achieve this aim, including but not limited to:

• extensive community and stakeholder consultation, including a community census held in 2015;
• detailed site analysis and research; 
• a National Competition of Ideas; and 
• the subsequent formulation of a comprehensive development strategy for  the site.

An impressive vision for the Kingston Foreshore development was  established from the onset, with the aim to rejuvenate and reinvigorate  development in the ACT. The Kingston Foreshore project has been an opportunity  to reflect on Canberra's past, present and future with a development that  celebrates and reinvigorates its history, but is also leading the way towards a  higher density, increasingly sustainable way of living.