After nearly three years, 25 meetings, hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of public consultation and untold angst, the struggle for the soul of Hawker Shops is over - for now.
The ACT Government will announce today that it is walking away from its attempts to redevelop the Belconnen centre, imposing a three-year ''moratorium'' on its ambitions for a radical revamp of the centre.
Community misgivings, mostly around car parking, have been to the fore since the government made its first attempt to make Hawker a key site for its infill plans for the Belconnen area. After more then two years of wrangling over a draft master plan, produced with the help of ACT government architect Alistair Swayn which included a relocated supermarket, six levels of apartments and an expanded village square was unveiled late last year.
But the plan, which clung to the idea of underground car parking, never won the support of the community groups that had battled the redevelopment from its inception in 2009.
Now, Mr Barr says it is ''a commonsense decision'' for the government to put on ice its plans for a new Hawker.
''I am announcing that I have placed a three-year moratorium on any ACT government sponsored development at the Hawker Group Centre,'' Mr Barr said yesterday.
''The moratorium is a commonsense decision, which will give everyone time to reflect on the issues raised during the master plan development process.
Warren Prince, of the Friends of Hawker Village said yesterday that he was very happy with the decision but was approaching the moratorium with some caution.
''We are delighted the government has listened to the majority of the community who have clearly said in a large petition of 1896 signatories presented to the Assembly in November 2010, three separate community meetings in 2010 and one recent and well-attended [meeting] and feedback to the Economic Development Directorate that they do not want the car parks developed,'' Mr Prince said.
''We are sure that the government will honour the moratorium.
''We believe the period of three years to be interesting, does government believe the majority of the community's view will change in that time?''
At the shops yesterday, traders cautiously welcomed the decision. Butcher James Read, of Bonza Bangers, said he wanted to see an upgrade of the shops but that he believed the government's plan was ''too much''.
''I'd like to see the place getting a facelift, but to put even more shops in an over-shopped city is not the right way to go,'' Mr Read said.
Ron Robertson, of Ron's Book Shop, said he too was relieved that the major upgrade had been put on hold, but that he was also sceptical of government pronouncements.
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