Annual General Meeting

The Belconnen Community Council’s AGM is being held on Tuesday 17 September at the Belconnen Library, commencing at 7:00 PM.

We are now calling for nominations from anyone who wishes to join the committee, or to nominate someone that would like to contribute towards the growth of the Belconnen community.

The nomination forms can be downloaded by clicking on the links shown below:

Nomination Form

Self Nomination Form

Thank you !!!

On behalf of everyone involved with the Belconnen Community Council, we would like to say a huge THANK YOU to Damien Haas. Damien has given 14 years of wonderful service to the Belco community, as a member of the BCC.

Damien has stepped down from the role as Deputy Chair after accepting a role with the Light Rail project. For the contribution that Damien has made to the Belco Community Council , we are forever grateful.

From Glen and all the Board members…Thanks mate and all the best in your new role!!!

Submissions to ACT Government on Kippax DV361 close Friday June 28th

The community has been very vocal in supporting the retention of public open space behind Kippax Fair, and not happy that it could be turned into a shopping centre.

Submissions to the ACT Government on this Draft Variation close Friday June 28th. You can email your submission to terrplan@act.gov.au

The BCC presented a draft of our submission at the June 18th BCC Public Meeting. That draft is available here:

http://belconnen.org.au/documents/draft-bcc-submission-on-territory-plan-draft-variation-361/

If you are making a submission it may assist the assessors if in addition to opposing the loss of public open space, that you suggest an alternative. That may include:

  • using Block 89 for the expanded retail space instead of Block 51 (The playing fields behind Kippax Fair)
  • ensuring that community facilities that are going to be removed are replaced on a like for like basis
  • that any loss of public open space from Kippax, is made up with new community zoned space in West Belconnen

The Belconnen Community Council are working hard to achieve the best outcome from this process, and although DV361 and the Kippax Masterplan have not met community expectations, with a poor community return compared to the massive commercial benefit, the strong community response has not gone unnoticed by the ACT Government. A better result can occur if the community demands it.

Kippax Group Centre Master Plan DV 361 – Community Consultation period extended until 28 June 2019

EPSDD have advised us today that due to the overwhelming support to let the community have more time to consider the draft variation (based on feedback from our meeting at Raiders Kippax last week) that they are extending consultion for an additional 28 days. Thank you to all who attended and participated to help us get this result.

You can get more information here: https://www.legislation.act.gov.au/ni/2019-343

Kippax Master Plan and DV 361 Update: Submission deadline extended and Planning Minister responds to questions about the Kippax Master Plan, DV 361 and the loss of public open space


Following the April public meeting of the Belconnen Community Council, held to discuss the benefits and problems with the Kippax Master Plan, Draft Variation 361 (that enables the loss of public open space for a shopping centre). Greens MLA Caroline Le Couteur (who attended the meeting), undertook to ask questions about the issues raised by the many members of the community that attended.

Planning Minister Mick Gentleman MLA has responded, in a very timely fashion. The full document is at this link: http://belconnen.org.au/documents/kippax-questions-on-notice-may-19/

Response by Planning Minister to Questions by Caroline Le Couteur MLA

Submission deadline extended until June

As a result of no ACT Government planners attending the April meeting (despite the BCC being assured they would attend), Tara Cheyne MLA for Ginninderra (who was also at the April meeting) undertook to write to the Planning Minister to seek an extension to the May 10 deadline for submissions on DV 361. That was granted, and the deadline has now been extended to June.

Letter from Tara Cheyne MLA advising that the submission deadline has been extended

BCC Public meeting on May 21 to discuss Kippax Master Plan and DV 361

The BCC will be holding a second public meeting on the Kippax Master Plan and DV 361 on May 21 at the Kippax Raiders Club at 7PM. We are advised an ACT Government Planner will attend this meeting to explain the Master Plan and DV 361 to the community.

Kippax Master Plan – Media statement from the Belconnen Community Council

BCC MEDIA STATEMENT – KIPPAX GROUP CENTRE MASTERPLAN – 25 March 2019

Today the ACT Government has released the long awaited Kippax Group Centre Master Plan Engagement report. We wrote to ACT Planning Minister Mick Gentleman on 12 March seeking access to the outcomes of this lengthy consultation process and its impact on the final Master Plan; the result has been somewhat of a mixed bag for the West Belconnen community.

The Belconnen Community Council held a number of meetings throughout the consultation process to garner feedback and identify concerns our residents, workers, business owners and students had about the draft Master Plan. When consultation concluded in early 2017 we were satisfied that all the feedback was satisfactorily captured for every stakeholder and reflected their concerns while respecting the principle that expansion was absolutely necessary for the continued growth of the area. With 30,000 residents flowing into West Macgregor and Ginninderry over the next few decades it is vital we have infrastructure and services to meet the demand this growth will bring.

What was particularly disappointing was the re-opening of that process months after consultation had officially closed to facilitate the Kippax Fair owners’ new plans for redevelopment of the centre; this appeared to be counter to the long-standing principles of consultation and process integrity the ACT Government have been renowned for. When a Community Reference Group was formed to deal with the challenges this new proposal posed, the Belconnen Community Council participated in good faith with a view that the significant concerns around loss of green space, reductions in available sporting and recreational facility and the creation of heat island effects, would be heard and ameliorations put in place to deal with those significant matters.

A full year after the final consultation period closed, we now have a report that has not sufficiently addressed those concerns.

We acknowledge the many great results that are reflected in the report:

  • Upgrading parking facilities in and around the centre
  • Upgrading of local ovals to account for the loss of facility at Kippax
  • New access arrangements for public/private road transport
  • Better shopping facilities and greater choice for the community

However, relying on a single online poll and the use of a minority of suggestions relating to these concerns does little to negate the significant feedback collected by the Council over the last four years. The simple principle of losing 30% of your nett green space then upgrading 30 percent of what is left does not return your overall state back to 100%; this is a pure false economy and one which our community has been urging the ACT Government to recognize.

We call on the ACT Government to identify new green space in the West Belconnen and Ginninderry developments to rebalance the 16000 square metres lost at Kippax. This process should operate in tandem with any redevelopment activity to ensure that as people come into our district and the West Belconnen area, we have capacity and facility to accommodate their needs.

The Belconnen Community Council acknowledges the hard work of the ACT Government public servants who have participated in this process and provided great support to our community over the last four years. We will continue to work with them in a respectful and courteous environment to get the best possible result on this and the many other challenges facing the Belconnen District and our community.

Glen Hyde

Chair, Belconnen Community Council

Kippax Group Centre Master Plan – Engagement Report

The ACT Government have released the long awaited Engagement report on the Kippax Group Centre Master Plan. We wrote to the Planning Minister earlier in the month and have yet to receive a formal response, however this report appears to have been released as a result of our request. While we are exceptionally pleased with some of the recommendations that will enhance the redeveloped precinct, some of the suggested outcomes fall well short of the community standards and expectation provided during consultation. You can find the Engagement report, our media statement and the letter to the Planning Minister on our “BCC Meeting Minutes, Letters and Submissions” side bar menu at the left of screen.

BCC February Public Meeting – 19 Feb

Belconnen Community Council February 2019 Public Meeting

The monthly public meeting of the Belconnen Community Council will be held on:

7PM Tuesday 19 February 2019

at the

Community Room, above the Belconnen Library, Chandler Street, Belconnen.

Agenda

This month there are three presentations of interest to Belconnen residents:

7 – 7.15 PM       Chairs report

7.15 – 7.30 PM   Any MLA present may provide a five minute update to residents.

7.30 PM            Canberra Town Planning on a proposed redevelopment at 40 Chan St, Belconnen Town Centre.
  
8.00 PM            Transport Canberra will consult with the Belconnen community on the “Moving Canberra” integrated transport strategy.
 
8.45 PM            The BCC Chair will announce a street library initiative between the BCC and local community groups and residents.