Page 4445 - Week 15 - Tuesday, 19 November 1991
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is the only system the committee could consider. This Government welcomes and encourages involvement by Canberra residents in their neighbourhoods. I am disappointed to see this issue inflamed in the way that it has been recently.
The needs of the members of the Forrest bowling club have been carefully considered, as have the needs of the majority of the residents of the area. You must remember that these two groups are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Comments have been made that not enough time was allowed for the proposal and alternative points of view to be aired. To be fair, we must remember that three meetings were held with residents and over 100 proposals were examined before the report was drafted. Public hearings and hearings with the Planning Department were all carried out in accordance with the job of the committee. I feel that in every debate a point is reached when all sides have had ample opportunity to present their case, and I truly believe that this has occurred in relation to the Forrest bowling club development.
It has been claimed that the Forrest bowling club building is of heritage value. Whilst I would agree that it is significant that the club was the first bowling club in Canberra, I would not agree that the building, as it now stands, is of heritage value. Mr Speaker, having visited the site with the committee, I must confess that I cannot tell which part of the building is the original and not later extensions.
I must admit that I am not a builder, but I have lived in many and varied houses in my time. After examining the termite damage and dry rot, I can make an informed guess that this building is pretty well on its last legs. The last extensions were made to the building in the 1960s. Whilst I look back very fondly on the 1960s, I do not believe that buildings from that decade have reached the status of heritage value as yet. To restore the building to its original condition would, I feel, run counter to the needs of the club, because the club would have to be considerably reduced in size.
Mr Speaker, not only have generations of white ants dined on the Forrest bowling club, but the actual pylons supporting the structure have caused damage to the roof and floors by sinking into the ground as a result of years of heavy rain. The drainage problems of Forrest are well known. It is the opinion of ACTEW that the drainage on this site needs attention, and it may be very expensive to carry out.
The whole of Forrest was very badly organised and drained. It was one of the very early suburbs. The drainage problem will have to be attended to. If any development goes ahead on this site - and it is not for us to make a decision on what that might be - the drainage problem will have to be taken into account and rectification of the problem will
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