Relocate light rail traction power substation away from Yarralumla homes

The following residents of the ACT draw to the attention of the Assembly to their concerns about the proposed sitting of a light rail traction power substation on Gunn Street in Yarralumla. 

These concerns include the following safety risks:

• Construction will involve heavy vehicle movements, in an area where children are walking to school.
• As a high-voltage facility, there are inherent fire risks.
• The site has a history of flooding, most recently in January 2024. 

The installation would result in a loss of community amenity:

• It is a valued open green space, used for recreation, dog walking, Girl Guide outdoor activities and community interaction.
• Noise impact - comparable substations generate a constant hum of 60–80 dB, potentially exceeding ACT night-time noise limits.
• Light impact - operational and security lighting may also spill into neighbouring properties, affecting privacy and contributing to light pollution. 

There are also potentially serious environmental impacts:

• Several protected species are in the area, including the endangered Gang-gang Cockatoo, vulnerable Superb Parrot and Diamond Firetail and the critically endangered Golden Sun Moth.
• Local grasslands contain essential food plants and breeding habitat for the Golden Sun Moth, which take years to establish.
• Mature hollow-bearing trees that provide nesting habitat for native birds would also be lost, and removal of this habitat would conflict with ACT and national biodiversity commitments.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the Assembly to call on the ACT government to identify alternative, non-residential sites for the proposed light rail traction power substation planned for Gunn Street, Yarralumla that would have lesser impacts on public safety, community amenity, and the natural environment.