Present: Michael (Facilitator), Tony Adams (Riverview), Steve Harding (Project Manager), Rosemary Blemings (Strathnairn), Dira Horne (Belconnen Community Services), Cindy (former Deputy Principal Kingsford Smith primary school, Belconnen resident), Travis Gilbert (ACT Shelter), Tyrone Bell, Robyn Coghlan (GFA), Damien Haas (BCC).
1.Update on Project
A chart of activities was presented from the beginning of the process. Of interest were those for 2016 and 2017:
- Territory Plan: Preparation of Estate Development Plan for approval; first land sales release expected September 2016.
- NCP: Minister decision and plan amendment expected any day now.
- Yass Valley LEP: Cross-agency forum; public consultation expected June 2016.
- EPBC: Public notification expected April 2016; followed by Dept of Environment assessment; Minister decision August 2016.
- NSW approval expected first quarter 2017.
Neighbourhood 1 – First area of development between Strathnairn and golf course:
1,000 dwellings, water features to handle water in the landscape, school immediately north of Strathnairn (kindy to year 10 or 12 – confused discussion) to keep community facilities together.
May 16 lodgment of Estate PP for agency review. DA will be processed but not approved until NCP approval received. Contruction to commence early 2017; first residents to move in late 2017-2018.
This is the first of three suburbs in the ACT section of the project.
2.Briefing on Multi-Purpose Centre
- Designed for a range of users – project team, construction workers, architects, consultants, suppliers, Strathnairn arts groups and community groups. Need work spaces, meeting spaces, areas for marketing , learning, training, employment etc. It will ultimately become a village hall. Riverview tenure will be about ten years then the building will revert to Strathnairn.
- The building was designed to mimic the rustic nature of the existing buildings though in a modern style. Some walls clad with rusty steel, roof colourbond. It is largely a roofed open space surrounded by a few rooms. The entire thing can be closed up or opened out. A copy of the plans was provided.
- Tyrone’s suggestion of a wall display near the entrance outlining the aboriginal and European heritage and a bush tucker garden was received positively.
- The DA was approved in March and a tender will be let in May. Construction should start in June depending on the NCA approval.
- The building will include a coffee shop facility. The only shopping centre for the entire 30,000 person development will be on Parkwood Road in the ACT section as anything further west is expected to fail (like most local shops have done) with most residents choosing to drive to the expanded Kippax Centre.
3.Update on Place Names
Street names are under consideration by the relevant authority and will have to be designated by the time the first residents move in. Discussions are being held with the families affected by some of the suggested names of people. It is likely that the first suburb will be called Strathnairn but this is not yet final so is confidential information. The overall name of the entire development was a choice between Parkwood by which the area is known in NSW, and Ginninderry. The latter seems to be the most favoured but, again, is not yet settled. Tyrone suggested that, if adopted, the spelling should be amended to end in an ‘i’.
4.Future of the P&P group
There was some discussion about whether the P&P and BOB groups should be amalgamated since they tend to cover some similar issues. It was agreed that the membership varies sufficiently that two separate groups are worthwhile as the focus is different.
A new community development manager has been appointed.
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