Page 4510 - Week 15 - Wednesday, 20 November 1991
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I believe that it is appropriate, Mr Speaker, for this Assembly today to send a message to the Government and say: "Sorry; it is not quite right. Let us go back and have another look at this problem. Let us see whether we can resolve the issue in the true nature of community consultation, so that all groups and elements affected by this proposal can achieve their aims, that is, so that the residents of the area can have a development that is more in keeping with the nature of the site; for the people from the bowling club - the 150 current members, and hopefully an expanded membership if they are able to make some changes to their site; and also for the members of the tennis club who, as we know, for some years have been seeking an extension of their site to provide facilities for some 700-odd members".
We need to send this back to the drawing board and have it reconsidered by the Government. As I said in my dissenting comments within the report, the Executive should:
(1) revoke its approval of the Variation ...;
(2) direct the Authority to reconsider the overall planning issues related to the site;
(3) direct the Authority to conduct further consultation with the community on these planning issues;
(4) initiate a study to include a full assessment of the costs and potential for the preservation of the heritage of the site and existing buildings ...
That, Mr Speaker, was one of the most blatant failures - or holes, if you like - in this whole process: The Heritage Committee indicated quite clearly that it saw some problems associated with this building, but there was no assessment by the Government or the Planning Authority of the ability to improve and preserve the heritage of the site and existing buildings. I think we need to ensure that any proposals for the redevelopment of the site are in accordance with an assessment of the planning and heritage issues related to the site and buildings, including, as I have already indicated, the potential for arrangements between the Canberra Bowling Club and the Forrest Tennis Club. This part of the ACT has for many years been seen as an area for recreation, and it should be retained that way.
As far as the bowling club's proposal is concerned - I want to close my remarks by talking about that very briefly; that is, the proposal to redevelop that site - from the plans that I have seen, it involves an indoor bowling green and an outdoor bowling green on concrete slabs. I made some inquiries in relation to this, to see where else in Australia these sorts of facilities have been constructed.
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