May 2016

ACT GOVERNMENT MUST REJECT GWS/GROCON ‘MANUKA GREEN’ BID

May 27, 2016

in Current Issues

27 May 2016

The ACT Government should heed the call of inner south residents and reject the GWS/Grocon revised unsolicited bid to develop the Manuka Oval precinct, according to the Inner South Canberra Community Council (ISCCC).

A delegation from the ISCCC is to meet today with the Chief Minister, Mr Andrew Barr MLA, to present the community’s views on the revised bid. The delegation comprises:

–        Gary Kent, Chair, Inner South Canberra Community Council

–        Rebecca Scouller, President, Kingston and Barton Residents Association

–        John Edquist, President, Griffith Narrabundah Community Association

Mr Kent said that a packed public meeting of 400 people on 28 April had voted unanimously to ask the Government to reject the initial bid, and instead commence a master planning process for the Manuka Oval precinct and surrounding areas.

“Contrary to the Government’s claims, there has not been a proper master planning process for the precinct. So far no proper studies and consultation have taken place with regard to crucial urban planning issues of population density, transport, parking, green space and the valued and sensitive heritage nature of the Manuka Circle Park, Telopea Park and Telopea Park School.

“The Government must initiate a comprehensive planning process for this valued part of Canberra in full partnership with the community and relevant stakeholders. The fact that the proponents have scaled down their original bid in no way compensates for the fact that it has been developed in the absence of a master plan – in fact, in the eyes of the community, this doomed the proposal from the beginning”, Mr Kent said.

Ms Scouller said that she would ask Mr Barr to accept the call by the public meeting to review the current arrangements for all sporting events at Manuka Oval, including for parking, transport and access. “Sporting events at the oval are increasingly impacting on local families in terms of residential amenity and quality of life and a review of current arrangements, including options for developing a new ground elsewhere, such as Phillip, was urgently required”, she said.

Mr Edquist said that the Government has a golden opportunity in the next two years to develop a Master Plan before the Test Match in 2018/19. “It should seize the moment and do a proper job” he said.

“The Government should also address rising public concern about the transparency with which development proposals are considered by the ACT Government. In addition, community input should be sought as soon as possible and there should be a stop to the cynical sacrifice of valued public open space to solve short term budgetary issues”, he said.

The motions passed by the public meeting are shown below.

Contact:          Gary Kent 0419 854 211; Rebecca Scouller 0419 987 952; John Edquist 0402 301 036

Motions passed by public meeting hosted by ISCCC on 28 April 2016

 

1.         Ensure that any proposal restricts development to sporting facilities and other improvement of Manuka Oval, and not include shops, residential or other development.

2.         Reject the GWS/Grocon unsolicited proposal to redevelop the Manuka Oval precinct.

3.         Initiate a comprehensive planning process for the Manuka Oval precinct and surrounding areas, in full partnership with the community and relevant stakeholders. It would take into account adjacent heritage and precinct plans, and would seek to agree on:

(a) Objectives for any future development;

(b) Strategies for achieving those objectives; and

(c) Mechanisms for continuing community involvement.

4.         Review the current arrangements for any events at Manuka Oval, including for parking, transport and access.

5.         Revise the guidelines for unsolicited proposals with a view to strengthening transparency and to ensure the publication of reasons for decisions.

In addition to these motions about the Manuka Oval precinct, the continuing concern for the future of MOCCA was highlighted, which prompted another motion as follows:

6.         Ensure that MOCCA, a longstanding community based child care centre, is taken care of financially. [This motion was moved in the context of the Government’s proposal to move MOCCA from its current site in Manuka and MOCCA’s disinclination to be forced into debt as a consequence of any such move resulting from redevelopment of its current site.]

 

Residents Reject Greater Western Sydney/Grocon Manuka Oval Land Grab !

May 3, 2016

in Current Issues

3 May 2016

The Wesley Uniting Church Hall is noted for hosting classical music concerts.  But on Thursday 28 April it was filled by about 400 angry residents.

They were attending the meeting organised by the Inner South Canberra Community Council and its member Associations the GNCA and The Kingston Barton Residents’ Group.  And they were angry, because of the way the government has handled the Greater Western Sydney/Grocon redevelopment proposal.  This involves building a 140,000m2 development including 1,000 new apartments, a 200 room hotel, 10,500 m2 of office and 10,100 m2 retail space, and a licenced club, on less than 2 hectares of land around the Manuka Oval (see the associated paper for further details of the proposal).

The anger was threefold, because:

  • The government has kept the proposal secret for nearly two years;
  • The proposal to construct such a large development on such a small area of land is so unrealistic it should never have been entertained; and
  • The Government has never produced a Master Plan for the whole of the Manuka Precinct which reflects input from the community.

Gary Kent addresses the angry crowd at the overflowing meeting

The meeting was addressed by Gary Rake, Deputy Director General and Chief Operating Officer, Environment and Planning Directorate, and Tony Harris, a former NSW Auditor-General.  Mr Rake outlined the processes the government is using to deal with this un-solicited bid and admitted that the ACT Government had first received the bid in August 2014, earlier than had previously been admitted by the Government (the date of lodgement was initially reported as November 2015, and then changed to November 2014).  Mr Harris described his experiences with un-solicited bids and the risks, both to their own integrity and the prospects of optimal outcomes for the public at large, when public servants find themselves up against determined and experienced commercial negotiators.

The meeting passed motions calling on the government to:

1. Ensure that any proposal restricts development to sporting facilities and other improvement of Manuka oval, and not include shops, residential or other development;

2. Reject the Greater Western Sydney Football Club and Grocon unsolicited proposal to redevelop the Manuka Oval precinct;

3. Initiate a comprehensive planning process for the Manuka Oval precinct and surrounding areas, in full partnership with the community and relevant stakeholders.  It would take into account adjacent heritage and precinct plans, and would seek to agree on:

  • Objectives for any future development;
  • Strategies for achieving those objectives; and
  • Mechanisms for continuing community involvement;

4. Review the current arrangements for any events at Manuka Oval, including for parking, transport, access, and concerts, particularly in respect of parking and road closures;

5. Revise the guidelines for unsolicited proposals with a view to strengthening transparency and to ensure the publication of reasons for decisions; and

6. Ensure that MOCCA, a longstanding community-based childcare centre in Manuka, is taken care of financially in any redevelopment of its current site.

 

The next step will be to persuade the government to implement these resolutions.