It’s been a relatively quiet month with end of financial year activities running most of our processes to ground until early August.
One huge step forward was our community’s win with the Green Waste Recycling facility operated by CSG at Parkwood. After our meeting last month, we undertook to write to Minister Steel and the day after our letter was received, the decision was made to extend the license to operate at Parkwood on a month by month basis until a new site can be identified, secured and transition plan put in place. Congratulations to everyone who took the time to sign a petition, come to a meeting or speak with our Ginninderra MLAs over the last few months; you spoke and the ACT Government listened. We are yet to fully understand the process being undertaken to select a new site, what consultation will occur with the community and what the timeframes look like, but I suspect with the ongoing hard work of our Ministers, Committee Chairs and input from our other local MLAs we won’t be forgotten on this important issue. This community has always prided itself on leading the way with new initiatives that benefit the environment and our people; your Committee will continue to keep this issue on the front burner with the Government to deliver an outcome that suits the needs of everyone who lives, works and play in our district. Our thanks to the Minister for his quick response after our representations.
There is plenty of interest in the current crop of sites identified for sale in the Town Centre; media coverage of the Old Water Police site has been high after concerns were raised by residents about encroaching on the waterfront. Tonight we have dedicated a whole session to discussing impacts any development might have on the area with the good people from the Suburban Land Agency helping us out with answers. In the suburbs adjacent to the Town Centre, there are concerns for the ongoing plans for North Lawson and the former Naval Station, as well as interest in the proposed tree trial for the Jamison precinct. Both issues are deeply felt in the communities around them and if you have feedback you’d like to provide, please get in touch with us through the Facebook or web pages.
And as always, a plea to our members to think about stepping up and becoming a committee member. We are in need of new faces to help take us through 2021 so if you have just a couple of hours to spare we would be grateful for your help!
Glen Hyde
Chair
Belconnen Community Council
20 July 2021