Page 1355 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 10 May 1994
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The other objector was a representative from the National Trust. That person had a personal objection to the way the proposal looked. After consultation, the developer massaged the initial proposal to take into account the concerns of the National Trust. The developer, the Planning Authority, the other proponents, the club involved and the objectors got together in harmony and in a consultative mode, and we have come out with what I believe will be a very exciting development for that site and also a development that is likely to create more jobs, especially for young people in this Territory. Therefore, the Liberal Party has no hesitation in recommending that the recommendation of the committee be accepted.
MS SZUTY (3.46): This draft variation is expected to be the last of its kind, I believe, to come before the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Committee. By "the last of its kind" I mean that this will be the final occasion on which a club experiencing financial difficulties will be able to negotiate directly itself with developers wishing to redevelop a site. Committee members have previously commented in this Assembly about two other similar draft variations - the proposal to redevelop Curtin, section 63, blocks 5 and 6, and the proposal to redevelop the bocce club site in Kaleen. The likely payment of betterment by the developers for this site will, I believe, be in the order of $500,000. Of course, the Australian Valuation Office will confirm the amount of money to be paid. As part of the deliberations on this draft variation, committee members heard from the proponents, a representative of the National Trust and a representative of the objectors - primarily owners and residents of Manuka Park apartments in Oxley Street directly opposite the proposed development. Mr De Domenico outlined very well the process of consideration that the committee took part in with respect to this draft variation.
The main reason for concern expressed in relation to the development related to the proposed inclusion of a McDonald's restaurant and drive-through and anticipated noise problems and traffic difficulties which might arise. Indeed, Mr Berry has informed the Assembly today that the committee recommends that the Department of Urban Services review the traffic and parking arrangements once the project is completed and consider, if necessary, the placement of "no parking" signs on the southern side of Oxley Street adjacent to the entrance to the McDonald's restaurant.
Certainly the committee took some time in seeking responses from the proponents about the size of the McDonald's development and its location on the site. If I might speak from personal experience, Madam Speaker, as a mother of a teenage son I frequent McDonald's establishments from time to time and also find myself in the queue of the drive-through for McDonald's restaurants from time to time at various locations throughout Canberra. I believe that the size of the drive-through queue and the associated noise problems and traffic difficulties might be more than various people are anticipating at the present time. Therefore, I think a review once the project is completed would be a very useful thing to do.
In addition, Madam Speaker, the committee has recommended mature landscaping which will appropriately complement the scale of the proposed development and reflect the quality of the existing mature streetscape of the area. This is an issue which the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Committee has spoken of at length in this Assembly, and I am very pleased that the committee, in considering this draft variation, has taken the issue up again in the way that it has.
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