Notice is given that the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Belconnen Community Council will be held from 7.00 pm Tuesday 15 September 2020. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, the AGM will be held via ZOOM rather than meeting in person. The link to join the AGM via ZOOM is:
At the AGM all committee positions will be declared vacant and nominations for all positions will be, subject to the constitutional provisions of clause 5.2, accepted from eligible members.
The Ongoing challenges being faced by Victoria has had an indelible effect on life here in the ACT. Belconnen is not immune: the gateway to our territory from Victoria is via the Barton Highway and we have seen the number of police vehicles monitoring entry increase over recent days as the window to travel home closes. Can I ask you all to stay vigilant, continue the fantastic community effort of the last five or so months and please ensure you are tested at the first sign of symptoms.
Waste Services for the Belconnen District
There’s been a fair amount of talk about the current and future state of waste management services for our district in the lead up to the election. We are not alone in our concern for the management of waste and the ACT Government has implemented a feasibility proposal for all of the territory; the efforts of the Combined Community Councils of the ACT have turned their attention to influencing this process for the best possible outcomes. While political parties of all colours are ramping up the rhetoric, the BCC (as a participating member of the CCC) are actively looking at ways to identify gaps, source solutions and put together a package that can be considered by government to address the community concern. If you have ideas and feedback on this important issue, please get in touch with us so they can be included.
Three years down
This month marks the final time I will lead the BCC as its Chair. Since joining on as a member in 2014 (after being asked to participate in the forum to fight the move of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection away from Belconnen) I have been privileged to watch our district and its people expand and grow. We are now:
When I took over the role in 2018, one of my goals was to help solve the impasse with the proposed expansion of the Kippax Centre. While we are not yet at a point to say we have solved all the problems, we are able to say we have a way forward and at some stage next year (depending on the outcome of the land use tender) plans may be available for the community to peruse. Along with all the other stakeholders, we believe the most recent offering by the current owners will address the bulk of the community concerns raised with us over the last five years and set our West Belconnen area up for facilities that will last them for another 50 years. My thanks to all those who have worked so positively with us on this crucial issue.
I would like to pay tribute to our team of exceptional committee members over the last three years. We have faced many challenges and some which I don’t think any of us had envisaged when we started; but we have weathered them all and kept our dignity intact (except for perhaps that moment at the Florey Fair last year when I took a tumble!). Each of you have contributed to our community in a way few others have and your support for me has been more valued than you can ever know. You are the reason our council exists and may you always be remembered for your time and efforts to keep Belconnen the Jewel in Canberra’s Crown.
And a plea to all of our members to think about stepping up and becoming a committee member. We are in need of new faces to help take us into 2021 so if you have just a couple of hours to spare we would be grateful for your help!
Please visit our Facebook and BCC website pages to keep up with everything that’s happening.
Stay safe and well in these challenging times.
Glen Hyde
Chair
Belconnen Community Council
18 August 2020
Please join us this Tuesday 18 August 2020 from 7pm for this month’s General Meeting.
You can join us here: https://zoom.us/j/97822008535
Belconnen Community Council Inc.
General Meeting
via Zoom
18 August 2020
7pm
AGENDA
7pm Welcome and COVID-19 Update from ACT
7.05pm Chair’s Report
7.15pm MLAs update
7.25pm Canberra Region Community Service Update (formerly BCS)
8.05pm TCCS – Canberra’s Urban Forest Strategy 2020-2045
8.30pm Close
Next meeting: Annual General Meeting 7pm Tuesday 15 September 2020
via Zoom
Apologies to all those who attempted to join us last night but we’ve fixed the problem and we will be back on deck next Tuesday night 28 July from 7pm.
There will be no change to the agenda or items to be discussed.
New notifications will go out to our mailing list and Facebook page but for those who want to join us, here’s the link:
As our district grows, community policing needs become greater. The Belconnen Community Council made submissions to the Standing Committee on Policing Arrangements last month with a view to expanding these arrangements as the district continues its growth in the West Belconnen basin, Lawson and the Town Centre.
You can view our session with the Committee here
The Belconnen Community Council (BCC) has been committed to the Kippax Group Centre redevelopment since early 2014 when the changes to the master plan were first proposed.
Over the subsequent five years, the BCC has facilitated numerous community meetings to provide opportunities for people to hear about the proposed changes to the plan and to voice their support or concerns. The BCC also participated in the community panel that was established to seek community feelings and expectations in relation to the redevelopment.
The BCC has supported the idea of a redevelopment of the Kippax Group Centre from the beginning however, not at the cost of the existing green space.
While there is more work to be done and another round of consultation with our community to be undertaken, the BCC believe there is a genuine commitment to meet community expectations and the wishes of the owners of the Kippax Group Centre.
The BCC looks forward to continuing to work with our community to find a design that best meets the interests of those who live, work and play in West Belconnen.
For more information, please click on the link below
Click Here to view the PDF
Ginninderry have concept designs for our newest suburb, Macnamara, ready to share with the community. If you are interested in getting information and providing feedback an online forum is being held. Please follow this link for more information:
Belconnen trunk sewer update to BCC:
Icon Water recognise that it is a challenging time for our community – it is understood that with so much going on that this work is unlikely to be of priority, so are providing only a high level summary of where things are up to. Whilst the project is currently still on track with construction likely to commence in late 2020, it is possible that this may be delayed due to impacts of COVID-19.
Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on the projects. Icon Water are committed to keeping the Belconnen community informed and have kept our website up to date based on feedback and questions we have received. We encourage those who want to know more to see the website (iconwater.com.au/bts) any questions can be emailed to participate@iconwater.com.au or you can talk to us on 6248 3111 (option 9). If you would like to receive updates on the project, please sign up on the website.
Project updates:
· The DAs for Projects 2 (Latham Odour Control Unit – OCU) and 3 (Florey OCU) were lodged with EPSDD in December 2019. Approval was received for Project 2 in March and it is expected that approval will soon follow for Project 3. Approval for Project 4 (Evatt OCU) was received in February.
· The revised Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is being prepared for Project 1 (2.4 km pipeline and odour control unit (OCU) at North Latham) and it is expected that the EIS and concurrent Development Application (DA) will be resubmitted later this month. Community feedback regarding the DA can be made directly to EPSDD during a 15 day notification period. Icon Water will provide update to those who have registered interest in the projects (including the Belconnen Community Council) when this occurs.
· Sewer bridge over Ginninderra Creek. During the notification period for the draft EIS on the pipeline, there was feedback received suggesting that the a pedestrian and cycle bridge could be installed over the planned sewer bridge in Melba above Ginninderra Creek. Cost of a footbridge needs to be balanced against benefit realised to the Canberra community. Options are currently being assessed and will be incorporated in the revised EIS.
· Delany Court playground in Melba. Icon Water had originally planned to consult with the community regarding whether this playground should be relocated, however following feedback, a decision has been made to have the playground remain in its current location. Consequently, during construction of the trunk sewer pipe the existing playground will be dismantled. Following installation of the new trunk sewer a new playground will be constructed in the existing site (at the end of Delany Court). This will involve some downtime for the playground of up to six months.
If you have questions, please have a look at the Icon Water website (iconwater.com.au/bts), send an email participate@iconwater.com.au or give them a call on 6248 3111 (option 9). There is also information on the website about Icon Water’s response to COVID-19 including advice on support that is available to customers.
The Office of Seniors and Veterans has provided the Belconnen Mens Shed (BMS) with funding to assist with the delivery of a program that will bring people together to discuss matters that are of interest to seniors. Although the BMS will coordinate the program; the events will be available to all female and male senior members of the ACT community.
The sessions will be focused on providing information to seniors that will assist them to make informed decisions or to source further information and assistance. The end goal of the program is to produce a reference guide for ACT seniors that provides information relating to:
• Legal services and support;
• Dealing with government agencies; • Coping with grief and changing circumstances;
• Considerations related to health services, medication, insurance and medical service providers;
• Adjusting to deteriorating health, mobility or finances; • Dealing with accommodation challenges;
• Planning for retirement;
• Household budgeting;
• Living on the Australian Age Pension;
• Matters related to relationships, families and older people in caring roles;
• Finding physical and social activities that are suitable for your needs.
Guest speakers will be able to provide information or answer questions. The presentations will not be related to marketing or any form of product specific promotion. The information sessions will commence during February 2020.
To gauge interest and decide information topics and the venue locations and the session times, a survey is available for interested seniors. The survey can be obtained at Terry White Chemmart pharmacy at Ainslie, Garran and Higgins, or from the COTA (ACT Office) located at the Hughes Community Centre, Wisdon St Hughes. It is also available on-line at https://tinyurl.com/tips4actseniors.
The survey feedback will be used to establish the dates, times and locations of the information sessions. The survey results will also be used to select the information session topics and prioritise the dates of each presentation.
Please find attached copy of the latest letter issued to local residents and businesses around Block 17 Section 152 Belconnen.