ACT Planning Minister Andrew Barr
says the planning mistakes made in
Gungahlin will not be repeated in the
Molonglo Valley housing development,
including the proposed suburb
of North Weston.
Mr Barr and ACT Planning and
Land Authority head Neil Savery met
Weston Creek Community Council
members this week to discuss
concerns about North Weston, which
will add about 800 dwellings to
Weston.
Mr Barr said some concerns, not
necessarily expressed by the council,
including that suburban roads would
not be big enough for buses, were
''complete rubbish''.
''We can absolutely, categorically
rule that out. I think the example
used was a private-sector development
in Ngunnawal under the
Carnell government. They didn't
want anything like that, and that can
be categorically ruled out,'' he said.
Council chairman Tim Dalton said
after the meeting he was optimistic
the Government was now more
aware of concerns about keeping the
slopes behind the Orana School and
the Bahai Centre development-free
and generally preserving open space.
Mr Dalton said the community
needed to be made more aware of
Government's deliberations on controversial
projects, beyond any formal
consultation period.
''There is flexibility in this now,
they are going to take on some
ideas,'' he said. ''Both parties agree
communication could have been
better, and let's try to move forward
and resolve it.''
Mr Barr said there was room for
compromise, with ACTPLA ''going
away and drawing some new maps to
put forward options'' that came out
of the meeting. ''My belief following
the discussions last night is that we
can accommodate some of the
proposals that were put forward
around enhancing access to open
space and that there are real
possibilities, through some of these
new developments, to enhance the
quality of the open space for Weston
Creek residents,'' he said.
He has referred the development
changes to the Legislative Assembly's
Standing Committee on Planning
and Environment, which comprises
two Labor MLAs, Mick Gentleman
and Mary Porter, and Liberal MLA
Vicki Dunne.
He said the committee could hold
public hearings and would report to
the Assembly.
''There is still considerable time
and opportunity for further discussion
around all of these issues,''
he said.
The National Capital Authority is
also considering a proposed amendment
to the National Capital Plan
before the Molonglo development
goes ahead.
The authority is waiting for an
environmental assessment from
consultants NGH Environmental
before making a recommendation to
Home Affairs Minister Bob Debus,
who could either table it in Parliament
for a decision or refer it to the
Joint Standing Committee on the
National Capital and External
Territories.
Mr Barr said the Molonglo Valley
had been identified since 2004 as a
potential area for urban development
because of its proximity to
existing centres.
''We need to ensure there is a
diversity of housing types,'' he said.
''It can't all be high-density but
equally it can't all be suburban
sprawl on a quarter-acre block.
Neither extreme is desirable or possible
both on environmental and
economic grounds.''