The area was first identified for possible "future urban intensification" in 2004, but progress has been unclear in recent years.

East Lake includes key sites such as the Canberra railway precinct and the Mildura Street commercial-industrial precinct, as well as the Causeway, home to an historic public housing community.

Residents have previously expressed distress about being left in the dark on the future of their homes.

"Our goal is to make the best use of existing land, infrastructure and assets while protecting the value of existing assets such as the Jerrabomberra Wetlands and the Causeway Hall," ACT Planning Minister Mick Gentleman said in a statement.

"To help everyone have this opportunity, the amount and location of public housing will be considered as part of the planning process for East Lake to ensure we meet the needs of both current and future public housing tenants."

The place plan will "summarise and prioritise the local needs and vision for [the] place to ensure that it's sustainable and thriving into the future", the lead consultant on the project, Obelia Tait, told an Inner South Community Council meeting last week.

Engagement will take place through events, workshops, walking tours, as well as online.

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The call for consultation does not specify development plans for the area, but preferred designs from 2010 set out a mixed-use precinct which would have seen the relocation of the railway line and station to the eastern side.

The precinct included space set aside for housing, industrial, commercial and educational uses as well as open areas. A green network of shared pedestrian and bike paths was also proposed to connect open spaces.

The area is considered by the government to be key to Canberra becoming "a more compact and efficient city".

"Ensuring Canberra remains a liveable city means accessible green space, connected communities, walkable suburbs, easy access to public transport and good building design," Mr Gentleman said.

"The East Lake precinct presents a fantastic opportunity to deliver on these aims."

The government sought a lead consultant for the project's planning and urban design early this year, with planning reports expected by mid-2023.

"That is the primary objective of our project that we've been tasked with, to finalise the planning for the East Lake precinct in collaboration with the community and key stakeholders to guide future urban renewal and regeneration," Ms Tait said.

The 2021-22 territory budget included $2.1 million over four years for the project's site investigations and planning, building on $608,000 allocated in the 2019-20 budget.

More information about the consultation process is available here.

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