The Minutes, Recording and other documents from the 2023 AGM are now avaliable at: http://www.belcouncil.org.au/bcc-2023-agm/
The Minutes, Recording and other documents from the 2023 AGM are now avaliable at: http://www.belcouncil.org.au/bcc-2023-agm/
The 2023 Annual General Meeting of the Belconnen Community Council (BCC) will be held via Zoom and in the community room at the Belconnen Library from 7.00 pm Tuesday 19 September 2023.
Agenda and zoom link can be found by clicking here.
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 up to the close of business Tuesday 12 September 2023.
Nominations to join the BCC Committee must be made using this nomination form.
Role descriptions are listed here – see pages 8-10.
You can submit your nomination form in two ways:
A copy of the Constitution is here.
Please email hello@belcouncil.org.au if you have any questions.
We hope to see you at the meeting!
We heard updates on the Indicative Land Release Program and SLA projects, as well as Linq Stage.
Chair’s Report
The BCC’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) is drawing near, scheduled for the 19th of September. This meeting will trial the introduction of a hybrid format, accommodating both in-person and online participants. All essential details will soon be finalized and disseminated as per the AGM’s regulations. For those members who are eager to play a more active role in the BCC’s future, I encourage you to reach out and discuss potential positions. I’ll be putting my hat in the ring again for the role of Chair. However, I wholeheartedly believe in the principles of democracy and would gladly welcome competition and fresh perspectives.
A significant update concerns the Hawker Woolworths consultation. The BCC conduct a letterbox survey, and despite the hurdles of limited notice and challenging conditions, we’ve successfully managed to garner 150 responses, providing invaluable insights. The resulting submission can be found here.
Regarding the temporary West Belconnen green waste facility, the development application for this facility has been given the green light, with stipulations that emphasize its temporary status, alongside requirements for site remediation and environmental safeguards. This approval is for a span of three years. While this is seen by the government as a grace period for devising a lasting solution, my personal conviction is that we should proactively start the dialogue around a permanent answer now rather than later.
The BCC recently received media attention due to our stance on the Belconnen Town Centre Primary School, an initiative stemming from the ACT government’s 2019 infrastructure plan. This school project found a mention in our budget proposal. However, a recent ambiguity arose during estimates, hinting at the possibility of this plan not coming to fruition. Given this, we are advocating for immediate planning, especially given the broader choice in land selection currently available. There are currently (conservatively) over 300 primary school aged children in the Belconnen Town Centre, and the ACT Government population predictions have this hitting more than 500 students by the 2026.
An update on William Hovell Drive (WHDD) has been provided. Our communications with Chris Steel have been around tracking the progression of WHDD and ensuring transparent communication. We have been advised that the 2023-24 ACT Budget has allocated additional funds to fast-track this project with the objective of ensuring a seamless transition into the construction phase immediately after all requisite approvals. As of now, it is still in the environmental approvals stage. The pace might seem slow but is a consequence of the sensitive nature of the area, nestled between two nature reserves and close to residential homes. The anticipated timeline for releasing the construction tender is the fourth quarter of 2023. For our members keen on staying updated, I’d recommend bookmarking the project page on the City Services website which will be reviewed monthly.
Lastly, in our efforts to keep communication clear and engaging, we’ve changed our meeting notice email. This revamped format will include a more detailed message from me and incorporate relevant ‘yoursay’ links. This change is a direct result of the invaluable feedback we’ve received from our members a few months back. I’m always eager to hear from our members, so if there are any thoughts, suggestions, or topics you’d like to see addressed, please reach out.
In closing, I’d like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all our members for their unwavering support and active participation. Looking ahead, I’m optimistic about the milestones the BCC can achieve together in the coming year.
Lachlan.
Below is a link to the meeting recording, with timestamps for each agenda item.
View the meeting recording here!
Passcode: jc5.L=sZ
Timestamps and notes:
00:00:00 Welcome / Chair’s Report
00:08:00 MLA Updates
00:24:00 Update on the Indicative Land Release Program and Suburban Land Agency projects
00:44:00 Presentation of Linq Stage 2 Redevelopment – Block 14 Section 45 Belconnen
01:11:45 General business
Questions taken on notice:
We heard updates on Macnamara Neighbourhood 2, Belconnen Village on Walder, and the Hawker Woolworths consultation.
Below is a link to the meeting recording, with timestamps for each agenda item.
View the meeting recording here!
Passcode: EaEa*?8J
Timestamps:
00:00:00 Welcome / Chair’s Report
00:08:00 MLA Updates
00:22:00 Presentation on Macnamara Neighbourhood 2: EDP and Offsite Works.
Presented by Rennae Sillett, Tait Network
00:30:00 Presentation on Belconnen Village on Walder (Block 5, Section 22, Belconnen).
Presented by Marcus Graham and Igor Kochovski, Stewart Architecture
01:03:00 Presentation on Hawker Woolworths consultation.
Presented by Tony Pratt, Woolworths
01:31:00 General Business:
Please follow the link below to access the recording of the June BCC public meeting!
https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/UCk_dOn7l80sj6lW77y8PgkjAdHQ47rOozZHoUIXrpqYrGUjSiTjWDnliGgPwbxd.PEW-apxrQMfdFhSs
Passcode: 2dBQE6#Q
| 7:00pm | Welcome |
| 7:05pm | Chair’s Report |
| 7:20pm | MLA Updates |
| 7:26pm | TCCS Presentation on the draft Urban Open Space Land Management Plan – Daniel Iglesias |
| 7:46pm | Icon Water Presentation on the Lower Molonglo Water Quality Control Centre in Holt – Patty Chier |
| 8:06pm | General Business: – Discussion on the William Hovell Drive Duplication Project |
| 8:30pm | Meeting End |
There were some questions taken on notice by our presenters and MLAs.
Further information on whether lighting was included in the Lake Ginninderra upgrades was requested.
The ACT Government is upgrading paths around Lake Ginninderra with $3 million invested to fund Stage 1 of works improve connections to the many playgrounds, picnic areas and parks located around the lake edge.
With the path network connecting these facilities, improvements include new connections, wider paths, better drainage, more lighting and seating. The first stage of the works will start near Emu Bank, following feasibility and consultation work which occurred in 2021.
The following questions were asked by Jo Clay MLA to the Minister for Water about the Lower Molonglo Water Quality Control Centre in Question Time addressing some of the questions raised in our meeting.
Please follow the link below to access the recording of the May BCC public meeting!
https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/FeyQ8IKmri2WSq-mwOEHF8kPCr58PXLJso3bIlfVdi1o5tXBuze6amEIF7WS6vun.271AIhrvDBu5WSKB
Passcode: *.?0MP9a
Agenda
| 7:00pm | Welcome |
| 7:05pm | Chair’s Report |
| 7:15pm | MLA updates |
| 7:30pm | Proposed Higgins’ Rain Garden update (ACT Healthy Waterways & Ginninderra Catchment Group) |
| 7:50pm | Drake Brockman Drive upgrade update (Ginninderry) |
| 8:10pm | General Business |
| 8:30pm | Close |
Below is a summary of the March meeting.
View the meeting record by clicking here.
Passcode: KL0v.91i
00:00:00 Chair’s Report
00:06:00 MLA Updates
00:27:00 ACT Budget – BCC Submission
01:12:50 General business
Below is a summary of the February meeting.
There were some images and language used during the meeting that was not sanctioned by the BCC, and has been to the best of our knowledge edited from the recording.
Questions taken on notice regarding the Swanson Street Belconnen development can be found by clicking here.
View the meeting record by clicking here.
00:00:00 Chair’s Report
00:06:10 MLA Updates
00:27:00 Presentation on the Swanson Street Belconnen development.
00:53:45 Presentation on Umbagong bridges
01:03:45 Draft District Strategy and the draft Territory Plan – BCC survey and submission
01:25:30 General business
The next general meeting of the Belconnen Community Council (BCC) will be held via Zoom from 7.00 pm Tuesday 21 February 2023.
There are several positions that are currently vacant on the BCC Committee. As per section 5.3.3 of the constitution, members shall be invited to submit nominations and an election will be conducted at an Ordinary General Meeting. This will be conducted at our February meeting on 21 February 2023.
A person is eligible for appointment or election to the Committee if the person is a member of the BCC who has attended and registered their attendance at a minimum of three general meetings of the BCC during the twelve months preceding the nomination.
In the filling of casual vacancies, ineligible members may only be appointed if there are no eligible members available to fill the position.
Nominations for the following vacant positions will be, subject to the constitutional provisions of Clause 5.2, accepted from eligible members up until the close of business Tuesday 14 February 2023.
Nominations must be made using this nomination form (pdf version) or this editable Word version.
The position description for Secretary can be found here.
The position description for Committee Members can be found here.
The Constitution can be found here.
You can submit your nomination form by:
This page will be updated with the agenda and zoom link closer to the meeting.
Questions?
Please email hello@belcouncil.org.au if you have any questions.
We hope to see you at the meeting!
Last night was our final meeting for 2022. We heard about the plans for the Westfield Belconnen redevelopment, as well as the community consultation process for the draft Belconnen District Plan and the new draft Territory Plan.
Below are links to all the ways you can provide input into these significant changes, as well as links to the meeting recording and the ACT Government’s presentation slides…