Page 4065 - Week 15 - Thursday, 17 December 1992
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The profile of proposed new residents also includes older couples whose children have grown, who may be attracted to the courtyard developments that will be included. However, the only facilities outlined for people in the older age groups are the Belconnen Senior Citizens Centre, the Belconnen Community Service and possibly an allusion to licensed clubs in the area. The Community Service is currently running at capacity without West Belconnen and, although the evaluation report accepts the need for a community development officer to be allocated to West Belconnen, one person is not going to be able to take up the workload generated by 3,000 dwellings.
With the Chief Minister, in her speech on Canberra in the year 2020 on Tuesday, emphasising the ageing of our current population, and the number of people over 50 in Belconnen increasing according to the demographic tables provided, there will be a need for the provision of further aged services in the area. I hope that any consideration of future developments along the lines proposed for West Belconnen will take more notice of the actual demographics and make realistic projections, not simply outline the best case scenario.
But just who does the EIS propose will live in West Belconnen? The equestrians have been removed; their future is up in the air. The libraries may need to be augmented with transportable buildings in the short term. Teenagers in Belconnen are faced with a lack of social and recreational opportunity. How much more so when West Belconnen is developed? Young women have also been identified by the EIS as being particularly disadvantaged by the proposed development because of the removal of the equestrian facilities.
The Housing Trust is reputedly going to sell off some of its properties in Charnwood because of the stigma attached to low cost housing, with the idea of purchasing land in West Belconnen for public housing. I suggest that that is just spreading the problem identified, as many of the people housed in Housing Trust accommodation in West Belconnen will be using the same facilities but will be at the disadvantage of living in a new development, with all of the problems inherent in establishing a household in a new area. And just who would be buying the houses sold by the Trust in Charnwood? The tenants? What proportion of Trust properties are vacant at any given time? With Charnwood having a high percentage of five- to 19-year-olds, 30- to 39-year-olds, single parents and low income households - and I refer here to pages 75, 78 and 79 - would tenants be relocated to ensure vacancies?
Madam Speaker, the only facilities in Belconnen which can accommodate extra influx from development are performance space, retail centres and indoor sporting complexes. The residents are expected to gain a sense of community from Neighbourhood Watch and meetings at the proposed community house; I refer to page 109. Balance against this the need for many of the proposed residents to work long hours to pay mortgages, to do housework and preparation after work and get to know their children, as well as travel for almost all educational, health and recreational facilities, and I think what would develop is a disenfranchised West Belconnen gripe group, not a fostering of community spirit through watching each other's houses and discussing crime in the district. As well, neighbourhood trails are supposed to fill in, in the short term, for the lack of public transport for the disabled; I refer to page 96. I am not sure just how that idea works, but I am sure that many groups will be interested to find out for future reference.
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