Today marks the official launch of the Green Track Prototype for Light Rail, a live testing environment that will inform the future landscape design and plantings for the Canberra Light Rail Stage 2A City to Commonwealth Park.
Green tracks are areas where tracks sit within a bed of specifically selected grass or plants instead of concrete. Green tracks help reduce the urban heat island affect, glare, noise, and dust. It absorbs rainwater and helps the track blend into the surrounding landscape, as well as maintaining a beautiful visual setting. Depending on the plant species chosen, green tracks can also have a positive impact for insects, providing habitat and food sources.
There are specific requirements for plants in the light rail area, where the plants need a low profile, be hardy to survive in the elements, being tolerant to sunny, windy, exposed conditions.
The National Arboretum is excited to be chosen as the location of this project that will shape the look of the light rail corridor and surrounding cityscape. The prototype will be on public display for a 12-month monitoring period for the community to preview the design. This selected time period will enable monitoring throughout all four of Canberra's at times harsh seasons, where the climate can range between -8 to 40 degrees.
Different irrigations systems will also be tested and three types of finishes and groundcover including cobblestones, turf, and low lying plants. At the end of the monitoring period, the prototype will be removed and the area will be reinstated. The imported topsoil and irrigation system will remain in place for future use by the National Arboretum.
You can now visit the Green Track Prototype, located at the southern end of the Arboretums' Gallery of Gardens.
View the Arboretum Map HERE.
For more information about the project, visit Light Rail to Woden (act.gov.au)