[Greens-Media] Woden community the poor relations

[Manderson, Roland]

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ACT GREENS MLA DEB FOSKEY MEDIA RELEASE
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Friday 6 July 07

Woden community the poor relations

ACT Greens MLA Deb Foskey has called for a rethink on development for
the Woden Town Centre and Phillip, arguing that the community is at risk
of losing its few facilities.

"Draft Variation 259 contains changes to the Territory Plan that will
surprise most people who live in and visit the Woden area and may end in
the loss of the bowling green, and other recreational and community
facilities, and the recreational space around the pool and ice rink
which is so well used by families and children and young people," said
Dr Foskey today.

 "That is why I am moving a motion to reject this variation to the
Territory Plan in the Assembly this August."

"DV 259 fails to put aside land for any future community or arts centre,
making Woden the town centre least well-served with community meeting
space, parklands and recreational facilities."

"While the draft variation did not adequately cater to community
interests in Woden, the final variation in much worse, and the community
groups who engaged in good faith in the consultation will be shocked to
see their interests ignored.  The loss of the recreational land around
the pool is a clear example of that."

"The planned refurbishment of the Phillip Aussie Rules oval seems to be
propped up with commercial development around its edges. The pool may
sit in isolation without its lawns and children's pools, which are wiped
out by the final variation, and surrounded by multistorey retail, office
and residential development."

 "There is already a lot of new residential development about to go head
in East Woden, just nearby; and further medium density housing going in
across the road in Lyons. The southern end of Molonglo development will
also feed in to Woden."

"Where will these new residents go for recreation, if parklands are
covered by buildings and no new community facilities are built?"

"And where will the children play?"  

"You do have to wonder if ACTPLA and the ACT Government have any social
or cultural planners working for them, and if so, if they pay any
attention to them at all - or to what the community tells them," said
Deb Foskey.

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Roland Manderson   Media Advisor
ACT   Greens    MLA  Deb  Foskey  
Legislative Assembly for the ACT 
ph(02)62050551      m 0412241379
==== www.act.greens.org.au ===== 
  
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