This morning's paper has front page news that Transport Minister Steven Joyce and Culture and Heritage Minister Chris Finlayson have reached agreement that State Highway One will be trenched underneath Buckle Street, in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior. This will remove traffic from the new Memorial Park area and ensure that the Tomb has the proper gravitas that should be associated with the country's national war memorial.

The Save The Basin Reserve campaign is very supportive of this development and warmly congratulates both Ministers for coming to their senses by putting good urban design ahead of roading expedience.

We're also hopeful that the same enlightened attitude will extend to the rest of the Basin Reserve precinct.

As the astute may have noticed, trenching Buckle Street is one of the key components in the Architecture Centre's plans to improve the Basin Reserve. Their design completes the trenching approach by covering over the roads on the Newtown side of the Basin, and by pushing the north/south traffic connection underneath the playing ground, as shown below:

This is the same kind of high quality approach that the two responsible Ministers have now agreed for Buckle Street. We look forward to them reaching the conclusion that the Basin Reserve is deserving of the same enlightened treatment.