Page 4007 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 30 November 2022
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Kippax Fair—parking—petition 39-22
MS CHEYNE (Ginninderra—Assistant Minister for Economic Development, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Business and Better Regulation, Minister for Human Rights and Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (10.14): I want to take a few moments to acknowledge both of those petitions, the views expressed within them and the many people that have signed both. I turn first to the parking petition at Kippax, and I thank Mrs Kikkert for organising that. I pay tribute to the many small businesses and community members who I have engaged with in the past few days about this; I very much appreciate them raising this with me directly and the proactive way that Minister Steel, TCCS and the SLA have engaged with me and my office since I made those representations over the past 10 days or so.
I am very heartened by Minister Steel’s response this morning and the work that TCCS is doing to ensure that there is parking that respects and reflects the range of needs for Kippax, particularly that longer-stay parking for those people who are employed in or around Kippax Fair. I will be confirming with Minister Steel after this, perhaps, not only that Kippax Fair owners and tenants will be engaged with, but that neighbouring small businesses that fall just outside of Kippax Fair will also be engaged with.
Belconnen—Margaret Timpson Park—petition 28-22
MS CHEYNE (Ginninderra—Assistant Minister for Economic Development, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Business and Better Regulation, Minister for Human Rights and Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (10.16): Regarding Margaret Timpson Park, again I thank Ms Clay and I acknowledge the residents who have signed this petition, which I do acknowledge is due to some levels of frustration that there has now been a hole in the ground for some time. That demolition did occur back in 2020. It followed agreement that the Belconnen Health Centre at that site had well passed its expiry date. It had been a derelict building. Indeed, for the residents who were around at the time that the building was present, it was an enormous hazard.
Since that time, the Territory Plan variations have been made, which have reflected the Belconnen Town Centre master plan, including that that site would be a site for housing—very modest housing. I wish to acknowledge that the consultation on that site resulted in the height limit for that site being reduced quite significantly, and the dwelling yield for that site also being reduced. I think the fact that this site has been considered appropriate not only for demonstration housing but for build-to-rent, is something that Belconnen Town Centre residents will, on the whole, welcome; but while ever there is an incredibly unsightly hole in the ground, there will be a sense of frustration.
So I am thankful to Minister Gentleman. I think we can certainly appreciate that when a tender or a request for tender is being evaluated, there are limitations in what the government is able to say or, indeed, progress. I hope that the response to the petition today has given some certainty to residents that this site has not been left without government engagement, but that there will be a resolution within this financial year. Thanks very much.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
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