For some months now the ACT Government, through the Public Housing Renewal Taskforce, has been consulting with the Inner South Canberra Community Council and local residents groups about the proposed redevelopment of several inner south public housing sites. Updated proposals will be unveiled to the community at two drop-in sessions:
• Red Hill housing precinct Tuesday 7 April 2015
• Stuart Flats (Griffith) and Gowrie Court (Narrabundah) Wednesday 8 April 2015
They will both be held at East Hotel, 69 Canberra Avenue, Kingston, from 6.00-7.30pm: see our website isccc.org.au
The ISCCC believes the level of consultation so far in relation to these sites represents a model of best practice community engagement.
We were less pleased, however, with the consultation process for the move of the Canberra Services Club to land currently occupied by the MOCCA child care centre in Manuka, and the centre’s move to land in Forrest used for tennis courts by Telopea Park school.
These arrangements were announced in a hurry without an opportunity for public feedback. Also, while the Government has been consulting with commercial interests on the future use of the old Services Club site, the community has yet to be taken into its confidence.
A recent meeting of Yarralumla Residents has rejected key aspects of the revised Land Development Authority Canberra Brickworks and Environs Planning and Development Strategy, released in February 2015.
The meeting agreed to establish a working group to consider alternative planning approaches for the area. There was also support for considering an appropriate strategy in the lead up to the 2016 ACT election. ISCCC will be writing to the LDA about the project’s impact on Canberra’s national capital values.
We were disappointed that the ACT Assembly watered down a private member’s motion on the sad neglect of Oaks Estate, which highlighted a range of problems such as poor bus services, high levels of crime, and inadequate master planning for the suburb’s future. Oaks Estate is a part of the ACT community and has every right to expect a level of Government support commensurate with that expected by other parts of Canberra.
Gary Kent Chair