April 2016

Invitation to Manuka Green Community Meeting 28 April 2016

April 11, 2016

in Current Issues

11 April 2016

Invitation

You are encouraged to attend a meeting at the Wesley Uniting Church Hall, 20-22 National Circuit, Forrest at 7pm on Thursday 28 April 2016.  It is being organised by the Inner South Canberra Community Council, together with its constituent associations, like the GNCA, and will consider the Manuka Green proposal generated by Grocon and the Great Western Sydney Giants.

Put this event in your diary and aim to be there.  The Manuka Green proposal is a major pitch to intensify further the Kingston, Griffith and Barton suburbs and we need a good turnout to show that the community is concerned and also to obtain information as to how the proposal can be evaluated.

One of the speakers will be Gary Rake, from the ACT Government.  He has been asked to outline the process for dealing with unsolicited bids and this one in particular; including identifying the key decision points and issues such as heritage, traffic/parking and open space.

What we know now

So far all we know is that the proposal includes:

  • 4750 new seats and a roof covering 80 percent of all seating at the oval;
  • A running track from Manuka Oval around or through Telopea Park to the Kingston Foreshore and a landscape upgrade around the oval;
  • A 160 bed hotel/hospitality centre (based on the block where the old services club was) together with commercial space retail space and a licensed club;
  • 1000 apartments in two areas (a) between the old services club and the arts centre along Manuka Circle and (b) between the Manuka Circle/Canberra Avenue intersection and the swimming pool; and
  • Up to 450 additional parking spaces and

The proponents have stated that the Heritage areas associated with the Manuka Oval, the Caretaker’s cottage and the Manuka Swimming Pool and gardens will be preserved.

It is difficult to see how a development incorporating all these facilities can be successfully accommodated on the site to say nothing of the effect on the traffic and parking.  Furthermore, we do not know what the financial arrangements will be or the time-frame involved if the proposal goes ahead.

If you are concerned and likely to be affected – come to the meeting!

 

David Denham

Secretary

 

 

GNCA Submission on Residential Solar Access DV346

April 9, 2016

in Current Issues

The GNCA’s submission on DV346 relating to Residential Solar Access is here

 

Storm water channels in Griffith Park

April 4, 2016

in Current Issues

4 April 2016

With the construction of the Amaya apartments in Austin St Griffith, there have been some reconstructions in the street of water drainage for improved drainage of water off the road.

This is one good result which has led to other drainage problems:

The water channels coming from under the road into the drainage system around Griffith Park have been poorly designed so that water sits in large stagnant pool rather than flowing on.

 

 

GNCA reported this to TAMS and received the following response

 

To get a water truck around to suck up the stagnant water ASAP; this is a temporary fix and that to achieve a permanent solution there will need to be a detailed costing to evaluate the work required.

There should be funds to do this in this financial year but we will have to wait until the next financial year before the work can be done.

Anyway, they would like the GNCA to let them know when there is a problem with stagnant water

One of our members walks quite regularly in the area and reported:

“I have just done one of my walks around the Amaya, particularly to look at the storm water channels and took my camera.

More than a ‘water truck’ and even before any ‘evaluation’, what is needed is some good old fashioned urban maintenance, namely some good old fashioned storm water channel maintenance of the type that uses hard yakka and a bobcat!

The main channel running down from Red Hill and the sub channel running alongside the oval have had no maintenance for some years. Everywhere there is a build up of rubbish, broken branches, weed growth.

I suggest we go back to our TAMS contact and propose that some timely clearance and maintenance be done, then the effects can be monitored and evaluated”.

GNCA reported this and consequently a bobcat removed large branches from the main storm water channel and there was a flurry of surveyors at work taking photos for the engineers.

GNCA wishes to express its thanks to TAMS for taking speedy remedial action on the matter of the drain, and looks forward to a more permanent solution in the next financial year.